Heavy Is The Head
by DangerzoneDKT
Summary: Gabriella Jackson, younger sister of Dexter "Dex" Jackson, tried her best to steer clear of the Stilwater violence. But what happens when circumstances and her brother's shady activities push her to the forefront of an all out gang war? Eventual JohnnyGatXOC
1. Bitter Truth

**Disclaimer: I own none of the Saints Row characters or anything associated with the video game.**

 _"In other news, police are still looking for the three male suspects who were involved in a gang-related shooting near Athos Bay yesterday. Sources say the spat occurred between underdog gang, the 3_ _rd_ _Street Saints, and Hispanic gang, the Los Carnales. Police urge citizens to proceed with caution when traveling through Saints Row till these carnage-causing criminals are brought to swift justice. This is Jane Valderama, Channel 6 News."_

 _Click._

With the press of a button, the cheap, staticky television faded to black. She almost wished she hadn't heard the broadcast in the first place.

Almost..

Being a resident of the Row and a Stilwater native, Gabriella had long become desensitized to the poverty-stricken city and its violence. With a sigh, she brought her caramel-colored legs up towards her chest to support her chin, dragging the ratty blankets along with her. At any other time, Gabriella would have felt disgusted with herself for her lack of emotion towards her environment and her brother's shady activities, but not today. Today, she felt her long suppressed emotions wash over her in the form of fear for the future. She huffed in annoyance, trying to quell the strange feeling which she labeled as unwarranted, but she couldn't shake the sense of foreboding crawling up her spine, sticking to her bones. She was so wrapped up in her own woes that she didn't hear the front door open, but was quickly made aware when her pitch black surroundings were illuminated by the harsh living-room lights. "Agh! Goddamn it!" Her arms flew up to defend her eyes from the intrusive rays, and she heard her brother's exasperated voice. "Why the hell are you sitting in the dark? And don't curse!" Dexter shut the door behind him and strode to the kitchen, pulling a beer from the semi-bare fridge. A sarcastic rebuttal lodged itself in Gabriella's throat, but she opted to hold her peace and mentally berate her brother's hypocrisy instead.

The very word was woven into the very fabric of his being and it often bled out into his conversations. He embodied confliction. An inner turmoil between what he could be and what he was forced to become. Dexter was easily the smartest person Gabriella knew, and that belief wasn't based on sisterly sentiment. Every day, Dexter teetered on the line of intellectual genius and sheer stupidity, but he often fell on the latter side because of his environment. He had no outlet for his brilliance, no way to fully exercise his mental muscles to their potential, and he often made up for it by acting out in foolish ways. Gabriella relished the idea of lecturing Dexter on these facts and convince him to put his brain to better use. She wanted to tell him everything that was boiling under her lips, but she couldn't find the courage to release it into open space. Resigned to her own cowardice, she decided to ask a less weighty question.

"Where have you been?"

The question alone should have blown the roof off of the house of lies Dexter had built, but Gabriella knew her brother better than that. It took more than questions to penetrate the walls that surrounded the truth. The truths that he kept away from her prying eyes; whether he did it to protect her or for his own self-preservation was debatable. Gabriella surveyed the lazy look in his eyes as he sat the empty beer bottle on the counter, prepared to defend himself.

"I was out," he said simply.

"Out where?" Gabriella shivered at the saccharine-sweet tone of her own voice, taking a determined step towards him.

Brothers and sisters shouldn't play these mental games with each other; honesty and openness should be the foundation of a sibling relationship, especially living where they lived. But the ideas of honesty and open communication closed like the door Dexter used to leave the previous morning.

A small smile graced his lips. "I was at the church," he replied, gauging her reaction in amusement. As Dexter predicted, his truth caught her off-guard, leaving her eyes wide as saucers and her mouth gaping open. The proverbial "door" was open, so Gabriella decided to act on her brother's rare honesty before the opportunity was lost.

"Why were you there? We both know you aren't religious in the slightest..." Gabriella quirked her eyebrow in curiousity. The idea of Dexter believing in a higher power was enough to make Gabriella snort out a laugh. She knew he didn't swing that way. Dexter allowed her mind to wander, regarding her with patient silence. Gabriella was just as smart as him (although he would never admit that.) and he knew she would draw the right conclusion. Well aware that he wouldn't directly tell her his business at the church, Gabriella ran through all the logical reasons that would justify his presence at the church in Saints Row.

 _Saints Row._

A wave of nausea sent Gabriella reeling and she took an unsteady step away from Dexter. She felt a momentarily satisfied that her previous fears weren't completely off-base, but the horror of her situation came back full force again.

"No...Please tell me you did not.." Gabriella was withering. Slowly dying before his eyes, and he decided to seal her coffin himself.

"I don't feel the need to explain my reasons for doing it, but I wanted you to hear it from me before you heard it from someone in the streets or saw it on the news," Dexter's cool response to her apparent anguish made her feel sick.

 _Didn't he care at all?_

Dexter reached into his pocket and pulled out a wrinkled, purple bandana, placing it in Gabriella's sweaty palms. She rolled the fabric through her stiff fingers, mentally remarking on how new it was. Gabriella knew it wouldn't be that way for long. Soon, the bandana would be tattered and stained with blood, her brother's blood. The thought of it sent bile rocketing up her already dry throat, and she pushed the burning liquid back down, ignoring its bitter taste.

It was at that moment that Gabriella realized that the dregs of truth were bitter indeed.

 **Thank you all for reading! This is my first fanfiction in a couple of years, so reviews and suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks! ^_^**


	2. Snapped

**Author's Note: Hey everybody! ^_^ sorry for the late update but here it is! Things are kicking into high gear now. Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy!**

 **I do not own any characters or information associated with the Saints Row franchise.**

 _"Miss Gabriella Jackson, report to the Principal's office. Gabriella Jackson, to the Principal's office."_

Gabriella sighed and laid her pencil beside her unfinished, disorganized notes, her head throbbing in irritation. Beside her book was a quiz marked with a bright, glowing red "F." It was a blemish. A crimson stain that sullied her otherwise perfect school record. More than that, it displayed her inability to separate herself from the turmoil that was her home life. It taunted her for her weakness and lack of focus. With her brother's gang-induced absence, the stress was taking its toll on Gabriella. Then again, the chaos surrounding her home address was nothing new, so Gabriella wasn't fazed by that fact, although she knew she should have been. It was something totally out of her control, not within her reach to change. However, her grades were always within her grasp, and she clamped down on that scholastic achievement with a clammy, iron grip. Now, it was slowly escaping her and the idea of not being able to recapture it was enough to make Gabriella's stomach churn.

"Gabriella, to the office," her math teacher broke through her thoughts and pointed towards the door.

She ignored the hoots and petty "Miss Goody-Goody is being sent to the office" comments, and made her quiet exit. The trek through the labyrinth of crappy halls was a quiet one, and Gabriella couldn't help but feel the ropes of foreboding wrap around her limbs, making her tense with panic.

Ushered into the office by the uptight secretary, Gabriella sat down at the front of the Principal's desk. He was an older gentleman; gray hair, weather features, and wrinkles at the forehead and around the eyes. He looked somber, shuffling papers around his desk in a nervous manner. This, of course, did nothing to settle Gabriella's riled up stomach.

"Miss Jackson, I regret to inform you of this news, but we received a call from your neighbors this afternoon. Your house was shot up earlier today."

Gabriella paled. She felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of her chest, and she felt the wave of horror wash over her like a tsunami. She didn't even try to calm herself down. This was something she had foreseen, ever since Dexter revealed his gang connections. Now, some hood had shot up her home, the one thing left from her childhood. An unrelenting panic gripped Gabriella by the throat, and she blurted out, "m-my brother! Was he at home?"

"The police said no one was in the house at the time," Principal Wexler said quickly, seeing the crazed expression on her face.

She allowed that fact to bring her a little comfort. _Dexter wasn't in the house..._ He hesitated, but the Principal went on. "Look, we here that the school are well aware of Dexter's gang affiliations, and we do not condone it.."

His statement felt like cold water against her skin. Since when did Dexter need, or want, the opinions of other people? Especially from people at her school? Stilwater was crawling, dripping with violence and Dexter was being singled out? Gabriella stared at the man curiously, and slightly offended on her brother's behalf. The direction the conversation was beginning to take was not at all pleasing to Gabriella. The last thing she needed, after her house being turned to swiss cheese and her brother running off with some gang, was to be criticized by some middle-class man from Filmore. She found it hard to hide her rage at his statement, so she bit out, "sir, my brother is an independent person who doesn't need the approval of you, me, or anybody else." Gabriella's fists clenched at her sides, her eyes daring Principal Wexler to continue speaking about Dexter in a bad light. Although Dexter had made a plethora of mistakes, he was still her brother, and Gabriella was willing to go to frightening lengths to protect his already sullied name. "I understand that, Miss Jackson. But as principal, it is my job to protect my students and the interests of this school," although he was slightly unnerved by her demeanor, Principal Wexler didn't wimp out under her gaze. "And as principal, I have deemed your presence here a threat to the safety of my students and the academic atmosphere that I have worked so hard to build. On that note, you have been suspended from school indefinitely and effective immediately, until you can get your life under control. Thank you for your time, my secretary will escort you out."

The one bright, sunny sky grew dark as Gabriella stumbled blindly through the grimy streets. Thunder rolled, and the cool rain felt like acid against her skin,

 _How befitting..._

The heavens opened up and the rain became more abundant, and Gabriella felt it was the universe's way of mourning the loss of her academic future. In a few short sentences, Principal Wexler laid waste to her already fucked up life by suspending her. Indefinitely. Most would have seen that word as a minor setback, but Gabriella saw it for what it truly meant. The true interpretation of the word _indefinitely,_ according to Principal Wexler, was "we know you have worked hard to overcome your circumstances and try to better yourself. However, we have decided to punish you based on your brother's actions, thereby cementing your future as a criminal and statistic. Have a wonderful day!"

She had her own burdens to bear, did she have to bear Dexter's as well?

Gabriella lazily took in her surroundings, determining that she had wallowed enough. Looming in the distance was the worn stone building of Stilwater Church. No candles lit in the windows, no hymns or praise marrying with the rhythm of the rain. These things would have been strange, almost unwelcome, given what surrounded that place. For reasons not completely known to her, Gabriella ran towards the imposing building and up the cracked steps. When she flung open the wooden doors, her senses were bombarded by the unfamiliar sights and smells.

Marijuana and cheap alcohol was thick in the air, making Gabriella's eyes water and forcing her to cover her nose with her sleeve. She tried her best to make her way through the gauntlet of doped-up gang members, till she felt a callous hand jerk her arm back.

"Are you Heaven?" A man clad in purple slurred. "Are you the hoe I ordered?" "Ugh..." Gabriella shook her head in disgusted and ripped her arm from his weak grip. "Does anyone know Dexter? I'm looking for my brother.." She yelled over the loud music, at no one in particular.

"Ay, this ain't no damn clubhouse! So, if you ain't reppin, get ta' steppin'," a girl grabbed Gabriella by the shoulder and shoved her back towards the door. "And ain't no nigga named _Dexter_ here. If your lookin' for Dex, too bad. He ain't here," two other girls came to join their friend in bullying Gabriella out of the church. _Dex...Is that what they called him?_ "Look, I'm not here to start trouble," Gabriella said firmly, taking note at how the three girls began to circle her. "Too late. Knuckle up, bitch!" The 'main' girl swung her fist at Gabriella, aiming for her face. "Damn it," Gabriella cursed under her breath, managing to weave out of the way just before the fist connected with its target.

Something unhinged in Gabriella's mind. No...snapped. Snapped was a better word for what Gabriella was feeling. Gabriella had a storehouse of pent-up aggression, ready to be released on anyone who tried her. Years of dealing with her abusive father, prostitute mother, and careless brother had worn her down, and she was tired. Tired of bearing that pressure all alone. It was true, that pressure made diamonds. But, it also busts pipes, and she was sick of it. If these girls wanted to be her personal punching bag, then _fine._

She dodged the barrage of fists and kicks that came from Girl One, grinning as she stumbled back and forth. Drunken her chance, Gabriella decided to lay the girl out before her two buddies decided to join in. Drawing her arm back, Gabriella rocked her, driving her fist hard into the girl's jaw. The girl fell back on the stone floor, out cold. The room erupted into madness as the other two girls charged forward to avenge their fallen comrade. Other gang-members surrounded the trio of fighters, yelling and hyping up the fight.

 _"BIIIIIIIITCH FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!"_

The crowd amped her up, fueling Gabriella's lust for violence. There was something...liberating, about being able to release her feelings, especially after she had kept them hidden for so long. These girls served as outlets for her anger, and it felt good for Gabriella to let it all out.

Flesh met flesh, bone crumpled against bone. The inebriated girls didn't stand a chance against Gabriella's clear-headed precision. All too soon, the fighting came to a screeching halt. Three men burst through the church doors and the crowd immediately parted for them, "What the hell's goin' on here?" A darker man, wearing a purple shirt, leather jacket and hat yelled. The other saints cowered at the tone of his voice. "Gabriella? What the hell!" Dexter-excuse me...Dex pushed forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. "What are you doin?!" He yelled in her face. She didn't have much time to react or speak, since the third man interrupted her. "Daaaaaaamn, a party and _I_ wasn't invited?" This guy was a bit more...amused than Dex and the other man. He stepped forward and grinned. "Shut up Johnny, this isn't funny!" Dex turned away from Gabriella, a little red in the face. "The hell it isn't! Some girl just walks in and starts kicking ass, I gotta know..." Johnny brushed him off and walked to Gabriella, towering over her. "So..." He grinned and bent down, staring at her curiously. A amused but dangerous look was in his eyes. "Who the fuck are you..."

 **Thanks for reading! Reviews and suggestions are more than welcome! Bye Bye! ^_^**


	3. Authors Note!

#Authors Note

Hey guys! It's been awhile since I have updated, and I am sorry for that. I am in the process of making the next chapter, I have just been busy with finals and getting ready to head back home. Not to worry, you all will DEFINITELY see a chapter by next week ^_^

Kisses!

DKT


	4. First Blood

**Disclaimer: I don't own Saints Row .**

"Johnny, lay off," Dex hissed, running his hands up and down every inch of Gabriella's exposed skin, checking for any bruises. "Ahhhh, quit bein' a bitch," Johnny retorted off-handedly, obviously not fazed by Dex's brotherly-induced panic. Gabriella shivered as Johnny Gat's eyes cut to her face, staring at her with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. By now, other gang members began to sober up (somewhat…) and crowded around Gabriella, making her feel claustrophobic. It was in this moment that she took inventory of her situation.

After barging into a Third Street Saints party, she managed to knock out 3 females. Aside from the hookers, she was the only civilian in the place, and police wouldn't raise a fuss if the gang members decided to take revenge for their fallen comrades. Even with her brother there, Gabriella didn't feel safe. How could she? Everyone was surrounding her and staring at her like some side show, and Johnny's unabashed, unwavering gaze didn't stop the butterflies in her stomach.

He was tall, head and shoulders above a lot of the gang members she could identify. His hair was raven black and tipped white, contrasting against his yellow-toned skin. _"Asian maybe…?"_ It was hard to tell, but the red dragon tattoos that snaked up the sides of his neck added to her assumption about his heritage. Overall, not an unattractive man, to Gabriella at least, but she still found his presence unnerving. The way he stared at her, as if he was trying to decide to kill her then or let Dex and the others handle it, made Gabriella want to run.

In fact, this whole situation made her want to run! Gabriella cursed her bravado and the unbridled anger that got into this mess. An insignificant innocent amongst gangsters, she knew they could take her out and the police wouldn't care less about her. Hell, there was a graveyard just outside the church!

A voice broke through her mental diatribe. "What's your name, playa?" A tall, dark man stepped forward. A little shorter than Johnny. Not by much, he wore a black expensive leather jacket. It meshed well with his simple purple shirt and black pants. The only thing that looked expensive on him were the two gold chains around his neck. With a black leather ascot cap twisted backwards, he looked like any of the other members. Probably even less.

However, the air of power that surrounded him allowed Gabriella to distinguish him from the rest. How everyone regarded him, the way they moved around him, it was easy to see that he was in a position of authority. She also realized she had yet to answer his question.

"Gabriella…" Her voice cracked. Whether it was out of fear or because her throat was legitimately hurting, can be left to interpretation.

"For someone who looks like they ain't had to scrap, you fight well," the man nodded, beginning to stare at her with the same curiosity Johnny Gat had done, except his eyes didn't gave that devious glint. He almost looked…hopeful, and in the midst of this filth and disparaging environment, it was Gabriella's turn to be curious. She kept silent, unsure of how to answer to his statement. Gabriella didn't take much pride in what she did, and she was sure that this tall man would order her death at any moment.

Dex paled slightly, staring at Julius and nodding. "Yeah, she's aight…But now, she is leaving," he said quickly, jerking Gabriella roughly to her feet and trying to usher her towards the door. Gabriella planted her feet, not allowing her brother to drag her to the church's exit. Her interest was piqued. Not by the gang or the people in it, but in her brother's reaction to her being here.

Although he cared for her, it was rare if Dex ever put thought towards Gabriella's personal safety. Aside from advising her to stay indoors at night, he didn't make it his business to impose himself on her. He was a man unshaken, rarely losing his cool. And if he did, Dex certainly didn't show it to anyone. But he was in front of hardened criminals, cowering on her behalf. Did he not want her here because of the dangers that came with being around this rowdy bunch? Or did he not want his little sister cramping his gang lifestyle? Rather than rely on speculation, Gabriella wanted to test it.

"Well, I don't have to leave just yet," she shrugged and looked the man in the eye. "Maybe I could…hang…here?" It sounded more like a question than the powerful statement she wanted to give. How does one go about saying what Gabriella wanted to say?

 _"Hey, I know I just stormed into your gang headquarters and beat up three of your members, but do you mind if I chill here so I can piss off my brother?"_ With all her eloquence, that didn't exactly roll off the tongue.

"This ain't a clubhouse kid. You wanna stay here, you gotta be in," a tall, blonde white guy nursing a cigarette, spoke from the corner of the room. "Hell. No. Troy, we are not discussing this. Gabriella, go home." Dex glared at Gabriella, willing her to leave. "Why should I, _Dexter?_ " Gabriella bucked up, staring defiantly at her brother. "It's not like home is any safer. Your little gang buddies came and shot up the house. What, scared that I might get my head blown off?" She sneered, satisfied with the frown that decorated Dex's face. She decided to continue, and twist the knife a little more. "In fact, I got kicked out of school because they think I am some sort of safety liability. So you know what? You can take your fake concern and shove it up your ass," she yelled, completely forgetting that there were other people in the room.

Silence.

The beating of hummingbird's wings would have been enough to break the quiet air.

"I like her," Johnny shrugged from a corner, smirking at Dex's speechlessness. "But if she wants to be one of us, she has to be canonized."

Julius chuckled and shook his head. "You don't think her knocking out three broads was canonization enough?"

"Nah, I have something more subtle in mind," Johnny grinned wickedly in Gabriella's direction. Judging by his demeanor and the bloodthirsty look in his eyes, Gabriella was sure that his "something" wouldn't be at all subtle.

"Johnny, she isn't going out and killing Benjamin King," Troy, the obvious voice of reason in the bunch, sighed in exasperation. "Look at her. Fists have nothing to do with guns. She wants to prove herself? She needs to go out and put in some work." Gabriella held in her snicker as she watched Johnny visibly deflate.

"This is not happening. Julius, you aren't seriously going to let her do this. Are we really that desperate for help that we would consider this bullshit?" Dex threw up his hands in obvious frustration. "We need all the help we can get, son," Julius shrugged and nodded to Troy. "Alright Troy. Since you're the one with the bright ideas, you take the kid out and show her the ropes." Julius turned away from the group and began to make his exit, three gang members in tow.

* * *

"Aight kid, time for you to buy a piece." Troy led Gabriella towards a shabby storefront, the flickering letters read 'Friendly Fire.' Gabriella could feel her eyebrows raise in skepticism. Would a store actually sell weaponry to a minor? It was common knowledge that Stilwater wasn't known for its morality, but Gabriella couldn't believe that an establishment would sell firearms to someone who didn't meet the age requirements and couldn't prove otherwise. A small bell chimed near the door, indicating their entrance into the storefront. The walls were lined with all manners of destruction: guns, rifles, grenades, and even a rocket launcher. A cold shiver vibrated against Gabriella's spine as she thought of the countless times people walked into the place to buy guns. Some for protection, others for devious activities. Activities should would soon find herself participating in. Was it all truly worth it? Her home being shot at, being kicked out of school, her brother…did all of that really warrant any of this? Gabriella concluded that, as Troy handed her a simple Vice 9, that she would find out.

After buying their weapons and ammo to reload, Gabriella and Troy slipped into his bright purple vehicle to go over their "plan."

"Here's the plan kid. We drive down the block and waste a couple of the vice kings in Mission Beach. After that, we head to Forgive and Forget, they will clean up everything," Troy explained quickly, already putting the car into drive and pulling into the street. "How will I know which guys are Vice Kings?" Gabriella stammered, unnerved by the lack of details that Troy wasn't giving. "Waste anyone in yellow," he said simply, making a sharp turn into a neighboring street, cutting someone off. "Look, I know this is your first time and all that, but you have to move quick. The car we're in ain't exactly conspicuous, so they might see us comin'. I pull up, you shoot out the window." The metal of the gun felt cool against heated, sweat-soaked palms, and Gabriella was almost positive Troy could smell the fear leaking from her pores. Fighting was one thing, but to take life in your own hands and crush it was something completely out of Gabriella's element. She felt Troy slow down and unbuckle his seatbelt. He switched the car to cruise control and rolled down his window. Gabriella quickly followed suit, pulling her own window down.

"We're rolling up on a group of them. Small, but it should give you enough experience to make Julius happy," Troy pulled up to the curb, about 50 feet or so away from their rivals. "Find the Vice Kings, and shoot," he commanded, waiting to see what she would do.

Gabriella's eyes quickly scanned through the somewhat empty sidewalks. Then, she spotted them. A group of three men stood on the corner, drinking and waving their guns around at random pedestrians. Their jackets were a bright, obnoxious yellow and Gabriella found herself getting annoyed at it. They were flaunting their status as the Third Street Saint's rival on _their_ territory. They were treading on saints' ground, and they needed to be punished for their idiocy. Their flagrant disregard for the laws (if they could be called that…) associated with gang territory.

Gabriella leaned slightly out of her window, pointing her gun in their direction, zoning in on the head of one of the men. She squeezed the trigger and felt the magic happen. The once lifeless hunk of metal seemed to burst to life. She could feel the heat of the gun as the bullet exploded through the barrel. She watched in glee as the men stiffened at the deafening sound of the gun, then their horror as their homie dropped to the ground. The gray sidewalk was stained. No…painted red with his blood and brain matter. He was shot dead through the forehead, leaving the body practically headless. "Nice shot!" Troy exclaimed, leaning out of his own window and making quick work of the other two, taking advantage of their shock. Three dead bodies lay on the corner as Troy floored the gas, shooting off towards Forgive and Forget.

"So, how was that?" Troy grinned and looked over at Gabriella, who shaking slightly. "It…was awesome! I mean did you see their faces!" she laughed and ran her free hand through her hair, while her other hand had the gun in a vice-like grip.

As Troy paid for their sins at the drive-thru, Gabriella felt herself slip into thought. Her head felt light from her first kill, and she quickly discarded any feelings of disgust that might have tried to creep up. A couple of days ago, Dexter dropped the bomb that he was a Saints member and in that moment, Gabriella felt like her world was beginning to crumble. In a way, after he told her the news, she felt that he was already dead. How could he survive out in these streets Vice Kings, Carnales, and Westside Rollerz, and the police all after him? She glanced at Troy, who was trying to order a funbag at the Freckle Bitch's drive-thru, and she understood how. The people watching Dex's back could keep him alive. Julius was a more than capable leader who had managed to earn the respect of his gang. Despite Johnny being a bit of a head case, he doesn't look like the type to let his comrades fall. And Troy was more than competent enough to help. And now, Gabriella could try her best to look after Dex the way they looked after him.

 _"Maybe this gang thing isn't so bad. It's kind of like a family. A dysfunctional one, but a family nonetheless...I guess."_

She blinked and caught Troy staring at her, only to realize she hadn't stopped staring at him.

"What?" he asked, slightly muffled by the burger he had up to his mouth.

"Nothing," she turned to face her window and smiled discreetly.

 **Sorry for the extremely late update people! Finals was a real bitch, but I survived! :D *balloons and confetti fall from the sky* . right…so rate, review, and recommend =D I truly value your opinions!**


	5. Retribution

**Merry Christmas Everybody! ^_^ Here's a tiny present to show my appreciation for all my readers and to set the stage for the action that is coming up! Enjoy and have a great day!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Saints Row _**

The ride back to the church had been quiet and uneventful, but her arrival was more than well-received. Surrounded by cheering and yelling gangsters, Gabriella's heart blushed under Troy's ardent praise of her first time firing a gun. Even Dex, who was completely against everything that had transpired, seemed pleased enough, but the look in his eyes told Gabriella that they would need to have a heart-to-heart eventually. If she wanted to stay in the Saints and survive, she would need Dex to be more than okay with this. Gabriella was an independent person, capable of making her own choices, but if she and Dex were going to get along, they needed to sort this out. They could achieve so much if they banded together.

 _Achieve._

The word flashed before Gabriella's eyes and she found herself wondering what exactly the Saints wanted to achieve. Gangs had to have _some_ goals in mind, right? She made a mental note to ask Dex or Julius about it later, but Johnny's appearance made her thoughts stall.

"She's your type of girl, Johnny. She wasted a Vice King from at least 50 feet," Troy jerked his thumb in her direction, causing Johnny's eyes to shift from Troy to Gabriella. They went from lazy and nonchalant to interested, and he gave her that electrifying stare that caused nervous excitement to attach to her bones.

"Call me when she starts shooting rocket launchers." Johnny walked to Gabriella and offered her a crisp, purple bandana. "But not too bad for a new kid," he shrugged, still staring at her in interest. Rather than looking away, Gabriella felt compelled to hold his stare. She briefly wondered what secrets hid behind those eyes. How many deaths he had witnessed to drive him to gangbanging; or was it a love for death that brought him here. A heavy arm was thrown over her shoulders and Gabriella looked up a little to see her brother side-hugging her. Protectively. Gabriella deflated as Johnny turned to Dex, that lazy look replacing his curiosity.

"My **_sister_** just made her first kill." The word had emphasis. It held a dangerous promise. "We should celebrate," Dex continued.

"Yeah," Johnny smirked at Dex, causing him to tighten his grip around her shoulder. They were standing in the center of the church, surrounded by gang members eager to see something pop off between the two lieutenants. Troy leaned against a wall, watching in amusement.

Dex growled lowly.

Johnny's smirk widened.

Gabriella rolled her eyes at their immature display. _"Oh, brother…"_

* * *

"Why do I get the feeling that coming here wasn't about me?" Gabriella yelled, ignoring the eardrum-bursting music and the seizure-inducing strobe lights. When everyone said that Gabriella deserved celebration, she was thinking maybe some underage drinking and hot wings. Not amateur night in a strip club. She dry heaved as she watched patrons receive lap dances from the sweaty strippers, sticking their hard-earned cash into all manners of crevices.

"Maybe because it wasn't!" Dex laughed, tossing some bills at a random girl. Gabriella cringed and shook her head. Gangbanging was one thing, but strip clubs were definitely not her element. Her eyes strained to pierce through the semi darkness as she hoped to find other familiar faces, but it was nearly impossible. Since they hadn't even rented out the place, purple mingled perfectly with patron, so it was hard to decipher between the Saints, and who was a random guy was looking for a good time.

 _"I need fresh air,"_ Gabriella thought, pushing through the drunken crowd and making it outside. Her lungs burned from the faux-smoke as she took a drag of the semi-fresh air that Stilwater provided. Although she was glad that everyone else was having a nice time, being in there made her feel uncomfortable. "Couldn't we have just gone out and shot someone?" Gabriella scoffed. "Great. Now I'm talking to myself…."

"You do that kinda thing often? I don't hang with crazy people." Gabriella's head snapped to her right and she saw Troy leaned against the brick wall, nursing a cigarette. She let out a small laugh and went to join him, standing at his side. "Then how come you get along with Johnny? He seems crazy enough," Gabriella commented lightly. Troy laughed and shrugged, taking a drag from his cigarette and letting the smoke blow through his nose. "Good point. But he isn't as crazy as most think. Yeah, he's a little off the wall, but he ain't so bad once you get to know him."

Gabriella nodded absent-mindedly. Dex hadn't been with the Saints very long, and he already had this issue with Johnny. It occurred to her that maybe Troy would be willing to shed a little light on the reason, so she said, "Dex seems to know him, and he isn't real fond of him."

"Oh, _that,_ " Troy rolled him eyes and tossed away the cigarette butt. "They really need to be better about hiding that. They get along well enough, it's just…" Troy paused, trying to find the proper way of explaining it to her. "They have a different way of doing things. Dex is calculated. Has a plan for everything and it usually goes over pretty well."

Gabriella nodded, knowing that fact firsthand. If ever there was a time that people perceived that Dex had slipped up or messed up, it was done on purpose. He was careful in everything that he did, and if he ever seemed careless, it wasn't because he had made a mistake. Chances were, he probably didn't care.

"Johnny, on the other hand, is a psychopath. It rushes into things and thinks that if he outguns the enemy, he wins," Troy groaned and Gabriella laughed. She could tell that just how Troy was describing Johnny, he had a few gray hairs from his antics. "But what pisses Dex off the most, is that it works out for Johnny. He can take down a gang stronghold on his own and it makes Dex want to blow his top." Gabriella took these small tidbits of information and tucked them away for safekeeping, knowing that the information would shed light on the two men later on. "I don't know how Aisha deals with Johnny. And frankly, I don't know how Johnny deals with Aisha. Guess that's what makes them a good pair," Troy continued, cackling at his own joke.

Gabriella blinked and felt the arms of overwhelming curiosity wrap her in its tight embrace. Who the hell was Aisha? Before the words could pass her lips, Troy's stance went from relaxed to alert, and he narrowed his eyes towards a corner down the street. "Ah, shit," he grabbed Gabriella's hand and began pulling her back into the strip club. She caught a glimpse of 4 yellow sedans making their way down the street towards Tee'N'Ay. A sense of panic gripped her, and she momentarily thanked God that Dex insisted she bring her gun along. These guys weren't here for a cheap thrill. They were here for retribution, and Gabriella knew that Troy and she would be the main targets of this impromptu assault. "Vice Kings are outside! Everyone get out or get down!" Troy yelled, pulling his out and clicking off the safety. How they managed to hear him, Gabriella would never truly know, but almost every Saint in the building perked up and got ready for battle. "Bout' fuckin' time! I was starting to get bored," Johnny hollered in excitement, thrusting the stripper off his lap without ceremony. "Get behind me," Dex pulled out a T3K Urban and motioned for Gabriella to take cover behind the bar. "Like hell! We do this together," Gabriella shook her head and had her gun pointed for the front entrance. "Secure any exits! No one leaves this bitch!" Dex commanded and a few of the Saints scurries to cover any possible entrance-ways. The drunk customers and strippers crowded under the tables and behind walls for cover, but it would do little in terms of protection. The strip didn't have many places to hide behind, so everyone was more than prepared for the worst. Save the hip-hop music pumping from the speakers, the club was practically quiet.

Then, hell broke out. Blurs of yellow flooded the club and the Vice Kings fired shots at anyone who they _thought_ was wearing purple. Bullets whizzed past Gabriella's head and she began to fire without hesitation or consideration. If she felt threatened, she shot, and no one was exempt from catching the heat. Screams and curse words filled the hair, and the smell of gun powder replaced the oxygen in the room. Gabriella pistol-whipped a rival who got too close, firing at him through the chest. She watched the life quickly drain from his eyes in raw satisfaction, then looked up to survey the scene.

The gang crowd was beginning to thin, although shots were still being fired. Dex had an injured Vice King member by the neck with one arm and shooting with the other, using the unfortunate bastard as a human shield. Her eyes shot to Johnny, who was clearly having a ball with beating up someone by hand, occasionally shooting at another enemy to the beat of the music. Her scan of the room was cut short. Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, a rogue Vice King shot in her direction. Fire shot up her right arm and for a moment, the pain didn't register in her mind. The bullet tore through her bicep and lodged in the muscle, leaving a sharp, mind-numbing pain in its wake. She yowled in pain, wincing at her first gun-related injury. Rather than falling to her knees like she wanted to, she channeled the pain into anger and quickly fired back, catching the gang member in the throat with a bullet.

"Gabby!" Dex yelled and ran towards her, staring at her arm in shock. "Get behind the damn bar!" He practically shoved her over the counter, and this time, she took his advice.

The fight didn't go on much longer after that. Maybe 10 more seconds... In the end, the damage caused was beyond devastation. Besides the glass, overturned furniture, and bullet-ridden walls, bodies were strewn about the place. The Vice Kings lost this spat, but they did manage to take a few Saints with them. Gabriella's ears rang from the constant shooting, and she felt dizzy from the pain she was in. "Hey, we gotta get out of here. We can treat that at the church." Dex's voice barely registered with her as he helped her to her feet and walked her outside.

* * *

"I keep telling you. I'm alright, Dex. Better my arm than my head, right?" Gabriella tried to calm her brother, who was examining her arm for the third time since they had gotten back to the safety of the church. The Vice Kings fell back after the massacre at the club, most likely trying to regroup from their losses.

"Dex, calm down. She ain't dead," Julius walked in and scanned at the battle-worn Saints. Almost everyone had been wounded, besides Troy, Dex, and Johnny. "Besides," Julius continued, "we got bigger shit to discuss." All talking ceased and eyes landed on Julius, waiting for him to continue.

"You think this is gonna stop? The blood? The violence? The Vice Kings came to the club looking for blood and now that we've taken a couple of theirs, they ain't gonna stop. Face it, these streets won't be safe till Carnales, Rollerz, and Vice Kings ain't nothin' but a memory." Julius grinned, very pleased with the plan already forming in his head. He could see the streets, not necessarily better than it was now. Not cleaner, not any safer for civilians really. He saw the vision of the Saints being the only gang in Stilwater. No red. No yellow or blue. Just shades of purple, owning and running everything from The Row to Misty Lane. "We bout' to lock this shit down right now," he yelled, and his words were received with raucous applause and roaring.

"Fuck yea!" "Let's do this shit!" "Third Street Saints baby!"

"It's happening," Dex breathed out in disbelief. "We are finally gonna clean this place out. No more looking over our shoulders. No poverty," he looked at Gabriella and gave her a small, reassuring smile. "This is what I was waiting for," he said simply.

Gabriella smiled and nudged him in an affectionate manner. Finally, her personal question had been answered. The Saints weren't all about the drugs, the guns and the money. They actually had a goal, a purpose to fulfill. Gabriella felt that she could shift her restless energy into clearing out Stilwater and ridding the streets of her rivals. Of their rivals.

The yelling subsided and everyone went back to talking in hushed groups, and Gabriella basked in the strange of comradery that permeated the air. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her and she could help but say it out loud.

"Wait…Was Johnny shooting to the beat of the music in the club?" she asked in bewilderment. Who actually has the time to do that in the middle of a gunfight?!

Everyone broke out into laughter. "Johnny, really?" Troy rolled his eyes as Johnny shrugged.

"Fuckin' A," Johnny simple replied. Geez… 

**Alrighty folks. Kinda short, but this is gonna hopefully set the stage for the introduction of some new characters, along with some drama! :D See You All Soon!**


	6. Control Your Man

**Hey People! :D Hope you all had a great holiday and I hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Saints Row.**

The next few days had been whirl for the Saints and everyone was more than eager to start their missions. After his speech, Julius decided to put each of his lieutenants in charge of handling each gang in Stilwater. He brokered no argument and demanded that each of them serve at their given post, but some couldn't help but be nervous about it. Troy had been assigned to work on dismantling of the Vice Kings, but he quickly shot down that idea. It was quite the spectacle, watching Troy and Julius fight about it. It wasn't until Johnny stepped in and volunteered to "take King out" that the heated discussion was brought to an end. Much to Johnny's chagrin, Julius placed it in Dex's hands to not only oversee the Carnales, but to look after Johnny as well to make sure he didn't fuck things up. As for the Rollerz, Julius made it clear that "someone" was working on them, so there wasn't much information given on that front.

The church practically empty, a sight that Gabriella wasn't exactly used to. Dex had made it clear that she needed to take a day or two off from being with the Saints. It gave her a chance to clear her head, heal her wounds and, Dex hoped, to reconsider her new position among the Saints. Unfortunately for him, her mind had not changed. Like everyone else, Gabriella was inspired by Julius's pep-talk and she was more than ready to offer what little services she could to aid the Saints in their cause.

"Hey. You said you wanted to speak to me?" Gabriella walked through the stone doorway and into Johnny's "office," and she almost wished she hadn't. Posters of a woman littered the smooth stone walls, and she fought the urge to gag dramatically. All of them were of the same person, posing in some of the most sexual positions and scant clothing that Gabriella had ever seen. She was a beauty, with dark chocolate skin and black hair. Could that be Aisha?

"Yeah, take a seat," Johnny looked up from a manila folder and motioned to the seat in front of his desk. "I didn't peg you for a business man," Gabriella teased, taking the seat and staring at him, trying to block those god-awful photos from entering her line of vision. "Well, when you are dealing with a guy like Benjamin King, its best you approach with a business-man's thinking," Johnny sighed, then gave a toothy, lopsided grin. "Luckily, I ain't a businessman, so what we are gonna do is- "Johnny was cut off by Dex's voice. "What _we_ are going to do," Dex walked in and leaned against a wall nearby, staring at Johnny in boredom. "Is take this slow. King ain't nobody to fuck with, and I was put in charge to make sure you don't get yourself, and my sister, killed."

"Ah, fuck you Dex. I got this. What YOU should be doing is figuring out how to get rid of the Carnales, not sticking your nose all up my ass," Johnny snapped in annoyance, but Dex remained unimpressed and unmoved by Johnny's attitude. "I got someone working on that as we speak. If you are going to involve my sister in your shit, you should at least be level-headed and taking consideration on how you plan stuff. Not everyone can take six bullets to the chest and survive," Dex snapped, motioning to Gabriella's still bandaged arm. She sighed, trying to adjust her purple shirt to hide the gauze, but the sleeves weren't long enough. Johnny's eyes flashed in momentary concern and as he was about to say something, his phone rang loudly. "Hold on, I gotta take this," he mumbled, checking the caller I.D and answering it, not bothering to take the conversation outside.

"Aisha, what a pleasant fucking surprise," Johnny said smoothly.

Gabriella's heart sped up, and she could feel it beating in her throat. She momentarily glanced at the posters on the wall, wincing slightly. So those pictures _were_ of Aisha, and Troy was obviously right about Johnny having some sort of relationship with her.

Johnny's face shifted from being neutral to confusion and concern. "Wait, wait, slow down…" he held the phone away from his ear as the woman on the line began yelling. Gabriella really couldn't catch was she was saying, something about "pimp…sister…hurry…nigga…" Dex chuckled from the corner, looking at his own phone. "Okay, I got this. Don't worry," his voice was determined, and he hung up the phone while the woman on the line was still ranting. "Some assholes grabbed Aisha's sister right off the block," he sighed, rubbing his temple in annoyance. "Shit, that's the fifth girl this month," Dex said, completely surprised. "We know who's doin' this?" "Aisha said it was a yellow truck, so I'm thinking the Vice Kings," Johnny's fingers were a blur on the buttons of his phone as he texted a few Saints to go and retrieve Aisha's sister. "Nah," Dex shook his head and shrugged. "Kidnapping ain't King's style." "Maybe Tanya is going behind his back. Don't know, don't fucking care. The point is I got some guys lookin' in on the situation. In the meantime, Aisha is coming here," Johnny almost looked at Dex apologetically. "Oh come on…she thinks King would hurt her? Isn't she his cash cow? And I do mean cow…" Dex grumbled, annoyed at the idea of Aisha stopping by the church.

"Wait, hold on," Gabriella sighed in exasperation. All the names were completely new to her, besides Aisha, but she wouldn't let on to that. The last thing she needed was for someone to get on Troy's case for leaking that tidbit of information. "Aisha, Tanya…Who are these people?"

"Tanya is…I guess you can call her one of Benjamin King's lieutenants," Dex shrugged, not completely sure of Tanya's position with the Vice Kings. "I mean, if we are gonna be honest, she Is a glorified prostitute who runs the brothels for King."

"Who cares who she is or what the bitch does? Point is, she won't be alive for much longer," Johnny stood up and yawned. "Unfortunately, Aisha is on her way whether people like it or not. Hopefully, she won't be here long." And with that, Johnny left Dex and Gabriella alone.

It was apparent that Aisha coming to the church didn't exactly sit well with Dex, or anyone else according to Johnny, but Gabriella wanted to know more about her. The last thing she wanted was to be caught off-guard when she arrived, and she definitely didn't want to be on the premises to watch Johnny and Aisha share some sort of tender moment. She glanced at Dex, who was texting on his phone in a somewhat angry manner, and decided to play on his emotions to get some kind of information. She doubted he would give away much, but any drops of information would quench her thirst.

"You don't seem too happy about Aisha coming. It sounds like the girl needs protection," Gabriella tried, and was happy to see her brother quickly refute her statement.

"Protection?" he snorted, completely indignant. "She is signed to Benjamin King's record label, she doesn't need protection from the Vice Kings. She's more Vice King than Saint, and that's what frustrates me." His jaw ticked and grinded in irritation. "We can't have someone around who straddles the fence like that. It's dangerous." The siblings looked towards the open window as a white Raycaster pulled up in front of the church. "She's already a bitch in personality, we honestly don't need her around," Dex growled and stormed out, leaving Gabriella to soak in the information. She watched a woman emerge from the car and practically sprint up the church steps.

" _Might as well judge for myself…"_ Gabriella groaned and started to walk towards the common foyer, hoping to catch a glimpse of Johnny and this Aisha girl. One thing Gabriella didn't do, was take another person's word for things, especially when it came to other people. If Aisha was as awful as Dex was making her out to be, then she would go and judge it for herself.

"Oh Johnny, I was so worried for my safety! I thought that they might come for me next," Aisha wailed, clinging to Johnny dramatically. "Oh, did you find my sister? Is she okay?"

Gabriella snorted. So, her sister was an afterthought? Unfortunately, her sound made her presence known to the couple, and Johnny turned to look at her, giving Gabriella a worn smile. "Who is she?" Aisha nodded in Gabriella's direction, detaching her arms from around her man and walking a few steps in Gabriella's direction.

"Aisha, this is Gabriella. Dex's little sister and one of our newest recruits," Johnny said simply.

With Aisha facing her direction, Gabriella began to examine her in greater detail. She was tall, a few inches above Gabriella, and dark skin. She had voluptuous curves and her mini skirt and purple crop top did nothing to hide that. Her dark braids reached her back, and the purple snapback she wore was turned sideways. The black heels she wore added to her height, and the outfit was finished off with a black and purple letterman jacket. To anyone else, it almost looked like she was one of the Saints, but she remembered Dex's words about her dealings with the Vice Kings.

"Oh. Nice to meet you," Aisha's red lips curled in slight disgust and her eyes flashed with unfounded aggression, but it was apparent that she didn't allow herself to act on it. Just being a part of the Saints offered Gabriella some form of physical protection. A lot of people wouldn't step to her with the knowledge that she had the Saints watching her back, especially with her brother being a lieutenant. However, Aisha was under that same protection, and she was able to do double duty. With the Vice Kings needing her and her ties to Johnny, she was in a position of power that _Gabriella_ couldn't imagine being in.

Gabriella bristled under her stare, but she didn't shy away from it. "Yeah, whatever," she waved the girl off, which only annoyed Aisha further.

"Johnny," she huffed, laying a well-manicured hand on Johnny's bicep. "Tell your little friend to leave. We have to discuss important things."

"Little friend?" Gabriella repeated, raising an eyebrow and stepping forward. She briefly stared at her hand on Johnny's arm, willing it to suddenly fall off, but she knew that was unlikely.

"Actually, Gabriella might be of some assistance on this," Johnny sighed and put a small amount of distance between himself and Aisha's grabby hands. He wasn't stupid. Aisha had an awful tendency of assuming the worst when it came to females hanging around him and she often bit their heads off before he had a chance to explain. He felt that this was his way of penance for his gung-ho attitude; he got matched with someone who was just as quick to jump to conclusions as he was. Aisha wasn't a bad person, Johnny felt this in his heart, but she often rubbed people the wrong way without thinking. His relationship with Aisha often left him torn between his duties as a lieutenant and pleasing his girl.

Gabriella blinked, a little annoyed that he would just volunteer her to help with whatever plans that involved Aisha, but she had to remember the goal. There was a purpose to all of this madness, and if working with this she-demon would get the Saints there, then Gabriella would swallow her pride (and slight jealousy…) and do whatever he asked. "What do you want for me to do?" she looked puzzled, wondering how she would fit into all of this.

"Aisha has a recording session in a few hours. Have Samson load the car with some C4 and drive her to the building. If Aisha is seen before the explosion goes off and she gets out of there, everyone will assume she died in the explosion. It's a 'fuck you' to the Vice Kings and it gets Aisha out of that deal with Warren," Johnny explained, quite pleased with himself.

"Wait," Aisha interrupted, looking at Johnny in surprise. "Wait, that means I won't be recording music anymore. If I 'die,' I'll have to go underground. I won't a life anymore Johnny."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "So you'd rather be stuck working for the enemy and getting screwed left and right? Why not just be done with this bullshit and pick a damn side?!"

"They aren't my enemy. They're _your_ enemies Johnny. I don't fly Saints colors and I don't rep Vice Kings. I'm a civilian in all of this," she placed her hands on her exposed hips, prepared to give Johnny more crap than he was willing to deal with.

"Yeah," he sneered, getting in her face. "You don't roll with the Saints unless you want something. Funny how you aren't with us, but we're the first ones you call when you need something."

Aisha laughed coldly, throwing her hands up in surrender. "You know what? I don't have time for this. If you all want to help, fine. But don't you dare screw with my music. Find another way, Johnny." She grabbed her purse and turned to leave, flipping Johnny off on the way out. "I better not see you near the recording studio, Johnny!"

Silence engulfed the room as Johnny and Gabriella listened to the reving of Aisha's car engine, and she sped off down the street. Gabriella was half-pleased and half-upset with herself for allowing her curiosity to get the better of her. The last thing she wanted was to watch a lover's spat, especially when one of the people is blocking them from their ultimate goal to get rid of the Vice Kings. It was obvious that Johnny didn't have Aisha's support, and Gabriella wondered if her reaction would deter him.

"Man, fuck her. We're doin' this," he grumbled, walking out towards the street to jack a car.

Gabriella grinned. Well, that answers that!

* * *

"Yes, Johnny. I don't understand why she didn't agree to the plan," Gabriella groaned for the third time. She thought that Johnny had put this behind him, but he decided to rant the whole time. On the way to Samson's shop, while they waited for the car to get loaded down with explosives, and now on their way to the studio, Johnny was still talking! Annoyance pooled at her temples, causing her a vibrating headache. "Oh my god, stop bitching Johnny! We are doing the damn plan, so stop it and let's just do this!" she yelled, cutting Johnny off. He looked at her and blinked in surprise, then turned his eyes back to the road.

"Sorry," he chuckled. "It's kinda difficult ya know? When the person you care about doesn't support you." His eyes seemed to glaze over in thought. "She didn't like the idea of me joining the Saints a few years back. Doesn't like it now."

Gabriella frowned, positioning herself in the seat so she could look at him better. Although his whining was extremely irritating, she hadn't meant to snap on him that way. As an apology, the least Gabriela could do was listen to his plight. She wanted Johnny to know that he had her full attention. He eased off the gas and pulled over by the wayside, placing the car in park.

"I joined a few years back, when Julius barely had anybody there," he explained, grinning at the memories. "It was only 10 of us, trying to gangbang and learn to shoot a gun straight. Aisha didn't like the idea of me joining a gang, much less a weak one in her eyes. She would have rather me been a Vice King." He rolled his eyes, totally disgusted at the idea.

"Why did you join the Saints?" Gabriella questioned, clearly enthralled by the story of his past. The way he acted, Gabriella thought he came out of the womb waving a gun around. The idea of knowing where Johnny came from made her drunk with excitement.

"I liked the underdog. And they were the gang near my own house. I'm not gonna abandon my hood just because I think another gang is better." He slammed his hand on the steering wheel and gripped it, his knuckles turning white. "That's what I hate about all this! Aisha and I grew up on the same damn block, and she just up and leaves to join the Vice Kings. If she isn't slapping or shooting them in the face, any dealings with them is like spitting in my face!"

Nothing mattered more to Johnny than loyalty. Being loyal to who you are and where you came from, those were the things that Johnny valued most. By going into a contract with a Vice King-owned business, Johnny felt betrayed. He hid it under his attitude and behind the barrel of his gun, but he was actually…hurting. The thought made Gabriella sick, and she was determined to make it go away. At least for a little while..

"Hey," Gabriella said gently, and he turned to look at her. "Let's go do something fun. Let's go and bomb this building. A lot of the Vice Kings are gonna flood the area and leave some strongholds unprotected. We can go and take one out while they are trying to sort out the melee with the recording studio. Let off some steam?" she proposed, hoping he would go along with her idea.

He gave a wicked grin and pulled the car back onto the road, driving with renewed energy. "Hell yeah!" Her soul glowed at the idea of Johnny being happy by her suggestion, and she reveled in the fact that she managed to banish the dark cloud hovering over him, even if it was just for a little while. The idea of someone like Johnny Gat being weak and feeling down seemed unnatural to Gabriella. He had built himself up as a tower of death-defying strength, and she felt that it was her to duty to help maintain that defense. People spoke about Johnny's cavalier escapades in such a way that he sounded like an immortal god. Gabriella knew that wasn't completely accurate, but she did believe that he should be both physically and emotionally resilient. And if going on duel missions to take down their rivals would keep him happy, Gabriella would willingly face that danger. As a fellow gang member of course….

The ride to the recording studio was peaceful enough and they parked the car right at the steps leading to the building.  
"Kingdom Come Records" was plastered proudly at the front of the building in golden marquee lettering, and Gabriella swore she heard Johnny fake gag at the sign. Warmth shot through her belly as she felt his strong arm encircle her waist, his hand tightening on her hip. "Let's get out of the blast radius and head out. Rumor is that there's a Vice King stronghold in Huntersfield, and I got a crew stationed nearby to meet us there," Johnny said smoothly, leading her away from the rigged vehicle. Without looking back, he pressed a small button on a remote control and the bomb detonated. Gabriella stumbled a little as the force of the explosion rocked the street. Screams from pedestrians married with the smoke in the air and the sounds of shattering glass as the explosion completely decimated the front of the glass building. The pair stopped to look back at the damage and Gabriella winced, knowing that the damages would cost millions in repair. Just as Johnny predicted, the area began to swarm with Vice Kings, looking for the cause of the damage and trying to salvage what little of the building was left.

To Gabriella, they looked very much like bees in their bright yellow clothing, swarming about the damaged hive. In a way, it was exactly that. Kingdom Come Records served as the Vice Kings' main financial operation because Benjamin King was, according to Julius, a gang banger with morals. He shunned the idea of getting involved with drugs like the Carnales, and he didn't even touch the prostitution trade. That's what Tanya was for. The record label acted their only legitimate business and as a source of constant income. Gabriella knew that had screwed them over badly with blowing up the building, and she also knew that the surrounding streets were getting a little too crowded.

"Come on, Johnny," she tugged lightly on his hand, trying to pull the dazed man along. "We gotta get outta here and get to Huntersfield." "Wait, wait. Let's just…" he stopped short dreamily, staring at the building in awe and smug satisfaction. "Let's just look at it a little longer." Gabriella laughed and continued to pull him along, with Johnny still gripping her hand and finally following suit.

* * *

"Fuck!" an irate Warren grabbed a scratched record and threw it, listening to it crash against the rubble of _his_ building. "Look, calm down Warren, no use in getting upset. What's done is done," Tanya laid her hand on Warren's shoulder in fake concern, but he quickly brushed her off and continued his tirade. "Man, fuck this! Somebody get King on the phone!" he yelled, grabbing a random Vice King by his collar. "Trust me, he knows," the deep baritone of Tony broke through Warren's whining.

"No…no. NO!" Aisha's screams could be heard from the street and the Vice King trio looked up, watching the R&B goddess walk carefully through the debris. "What the hell happened?" she screamed, completely forgetting that they weren't just managing her career, they were the heads of the biggest gang in Stilwater. "I leave for an hour and I come back and my stuff is blown to hell!"

"Shut the hell up, Aisha," Warren bellowed, getting in her face and pointing. "We don't need your bitching right now!" Tanya snorted in the background, knowing that bitching was _exactly_ what Warren was, and currently is, doing.

"What we need to focus on now finding out who did this, not messing with Mr. King," Tony's voice broke through the tension in the air and he waved his tablet in front of the impatient Warren, who quickly snatched it and pressed a few buttons. "What are you doing?" Tanya didn't even spare them a glance as she sat on a damaged chair, filing her nails. "Some cameras across the street caught some still images a few seconds before the blast," Tony huffed, standing at Warren's left side, while Aisha stood on his left. "We may be able to find out who did this," Tony explained, motioning for his prissy girlfriend to walk over and analyze the footage with them. Tanya rolled her eyes and squeezed in front of Tony, and they all stared at the screen in anticipation.

Lucky for them, the photos were crystal clear. In five second increments, it clearly showed Johnny and Gabriella leaving the vehicle in front of Kingdom Come Records and them walking away just as the car exploded. After that, the camera cut off and back to the beginning of the footage.

"Dead. I want those bastards dead!" Warren blew his top, walking away and dialing a number on his phone angrily. "Someone get King, NOW!" Tony quickly handed the tablet to Aisha and walked towards a group of nearby Vice Kings, getting ready to organize an assault on the Saints.

Aisha rewinded the footage over and over, watching as Johnny had his arms around Gabriella's waist. Him holding her hand, her holding his. She stood there, looking so rigid that her angrily grinding jaw looked as if it would cause her to shatter into pieces. Feelings of hatred and jealousy pooled in her stomach and shot up her throat like bitter bile, and Aisha swore she was seeing red. He had destroyed her. Fame, riches, and any accolades that came with her music were now completely gone, and Johnny had the nerve to betray her by having that _bitch_ aid in that destruction.

Tanya stood at Aisha's side, watching her shaking and her nails rake against the back of the tablet in pent-up anger. A wicked grin spread across her face and she leaned in close to Aisha's ear, whispering the hurtful and menacing words, "You should learn to control your man, sweetie."

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	7. Demostración de fuerza

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Saints Row**

So, I hear you blew up Kingdom Come Records," Julius gave Gabriella a friendly pat on the shoulder, smiling broadly. Once the saints caught wind of Johnny and Gabriella's attack on the Vice Kings, everyone went into celebration mode momentarily. Although Johnny was more than proud of his work, Aisha's avoidance of his calls dampened his mood. "Good job, kid. I knew you'd do great things." "T-thanks," Gabriella stammered, a small blush spreading across her caramel-colored cheeks. To be regarded as useful by the leader of the Saints made her heart coo in appreciation and happiness.

"Well, this is nice and all," Dex sighed, a little bit annoyed by Julius's approval of their audacious act, "but what happens now? You may have crippled the Kings for a time, but it's not over. You can bet they'll be calling for blood," Dex's brows furrowed in concern. Although Johnny had successfully thrown a wrench in the Vice Kings' financial situation, he knew Benjamin wouldn't stand for it. And Warren, who was as rambunctious as Johnny was, would definitely retaliate if he was given the chance.

"Warren might, but I know Benjamin. He is gonna take time to regroup and then come for us. All Johnny really has to do is keep Warren in check. He can handle that," Julius shrugged, not at all concerned. Dex snorted in surprise, his eyebrows raising high on his forehead. "So, now you trust Johnny? What about me watching out for him?" Gabriella watched as Julius stiffened, his eyes going from relaxed to steely. "Dex, don't think you're bigger than what you are," Julius snapped. "I put you in charge of _watching_ Johnny, not taking out the Vice Kings yourself. Handle the Carnales, understood?"

Dex sighed in frustration, gripping the bridge of his nose to contain his anger. Gabriella held her breath, willing him to calm his temper. She knew that Dex hated to be reprimanded, especially by the people who had given him power to act on his own accord. When he did things, he wanted to do them his way, because he felt that his ways were best. If Dex was given a task, he did it to the best of his ability and he made sure everything was done correctly. He took his job as lieutenant very seriously and he had backup plans for his backup plans, so when someone got in the way of those plans, Dex did not take it well at all. "Yeah, I got it," Dex ground out, shaking his head.

"Speaking of the Carnales," Gabriella tried her best to steer the conversation in another direction. "How is everything going with that, Dexter?" She smiled as Dex winced at her using his full name, but he gave her a small smile nonetheless. "Good so far," he stood up straighter. Gabriella saw memories and ideas flashing through his eyes, and she leaned forward to show he had her full attention.

"We got control of a few of their strongholds, but that's not enough," Dex shoved his hand in his jacket pockets. "We need to put a lock on their entire drug operation to completely screw them over. But to do that, we need to meet with Manuel Orejuela, front man for a large Colombian drug cartel." Gabriella's interests were piqued as she digested this information. In her eyes, Dex had the worst gang to deal with. The Carnales' international ties ran deep, and the Saints faced the possibility of global retaliation if Dex made a misstep. He skirted around, treading as softly as the beating of a hummingbird's wings when it came to making any sort of move against the Carnales, so the thought of taking out their main source of income was no light thing. "The question is where to find him," Dex sighed, rubbing Gabriella's head affectionately.

"Well, where would an international drug lord hang out? We can rule out police stations and local churches," Gabriella deadpanned, shooing his hand away from her already messy hair.

"Let's start with the strip clubs, and work our way from there," Julius said quickly, grabbing his car keys from a random table. "I'll go in my car, you and Gabriella go in another one. In case some shit goes down, we can split up if things get too messy." Gabriella nodded and followed Dex out of the church, hopping into the passenger seat of Dex's car. The first strip club they decided to search first was a club in the heart of Los Carnales territory in the Barrio district. Gabriella felt a little uneasy going into rival territory with no backup, but she realized that bringing more people along would only bring them unnecessary attention. She flexed her hands, trying to calm her raw, rattle nerves.

"Hey," Dex said softly, reaching and taking one her hands in his own. "It's gonna be alright," he gave her a brief smile before turning back to watch the road. She smiled back and shook her head.

"This is kind of crazy, you know…You always pride yourself on being cautious, and here we are going right into danger."

"Trust me, I am as thrilled about this as you are," Dex sighed, swerving through a few stopped cars a red light. "I don't like this whole drug thing, especially dealing with someone who is helping the Carnales. If he is so quick to sell them out, there's no stopping him from doing the same thing to the Saints when the time comes. But it's Julius's call."

It was obvious that Dex wasn't down with the idea of doing business with the Colombians, or even getting involved with drugs at all. Given Dex and Gabriella's familial background, with a drug-running father and strung-out mother, drugs wasn't something they wanted to get involved in. However, if the Saints were doing it, they would have to encounter it eventually. Gabriella craned her neck forward and watched as Julius made an abrupt turn into the parking lot of a seedy-looking building, and Dex quickly pulled up and parked beside him.

"Strap up, just in case," Dex instructed, tucking a pistol in his pants, motioning for Gabriella to follow suit. "And don't look so damn nervous, or else we will look suspicious."

 _Easier said than done._ The trio made their way into the dark club, and Gabriella's senses were once again bombarded with the smells of weed, sweat and the sound of hip-hop music blasting loudly through the speakers. She fought to focus through the darkness, scanning through the crowd of strippers and semi-drunk patrons, looking for anyone of authority. She bristled as the seizure-inducing strobe lights occasionally bounced on a person clad in red. The place was crawling with Carnales foot soldiers, currently too preoccupied with the strippers to notice the Saints' presence.

"Hey, that's him," Julius yelled, pointing towards the VIP section where a man sat on the plush red seats, surrounded by women. He was heavyset, balding, and of Hispanic decent, clad in all white save for a bright red shirt with white flowers printed on it. "I'll go. You both hang back and watch for any trouble." Julius pressed through the crowd and walked up to Manuel boldly. Gabriella breathed a sigh of relief as Manuel allowed for Julius to sit in his booth, and they began to discuss business in hushed voices. Julius' level of bravado was almost inflammatory. Gang warfare entailed trespassing on enemy lines and doing damage, but this was almost insanity. Here they were in Carnales territory, the Saints leader having business meeting with the cartel leader who was supplying their rivals with a surplus of drugs, in the den of their own rivals! If anything were to pop off, Gabriella knew the chances of them making it out of the club, much less back to the Row, were extremely slim.

She could hear her heart beating in her ears and cold sweat running down her smooth neck and she fought to not draw her pistol every time a Carnales gang member got within 20 feet of her. Thankfully, before she drew her gun, Julius' meeting with Manuel was over, and she found herself fleeing towards Dex's car in relief.

She buckled herself in hastily and looked at Dex, who shot her an amused look.

"Let's get the fuck outta here."

Dex laughed.

* * *

"Wait, so you're telling me," Julius sighed, waiting for Dex to continue. "He won't do business with us unless we get the drugs back from the police station?"

"The police station? How the fuck are we gonna do that?!" Troy, who had been lazily listening in on the conversation, jumped in quickly, staring at Julius in anger.

"Manuel told me about some meeting the Colombians are having with the Carnales at the pier. There's going to be a lot of Los Carnales there, including Hector Lopez. While they're distracted, we can easily storm the station and get the shipment back," Julius explained, knowing that everyone wasn't really convinced.

According to Manuel, Los Carnales's inability to keep track of their drug shipments were becoming an issue for the Colombians, who were already prepared to cut ties with the gang. Although he was willing to consider doing serious business with the saints, Manuel was a shrewd businessman and would not go through on this idea unless the Saints showed mutual good faith. Unless Julius agreed to retrieve the drugs from the police station, any possibilities of negotiation with the Colombians would be cut off and they may possibly face violent disciplinary action from the Colombians for their insolent disregard of the deal.

Either way, Julius' hands were tied, something that Dex had been worried about from the beginning. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, they had two choices. Take over the station and get the drugs for Manuel, or face retribution from the Colombians on top of risking them reestablishing good relations with the Carnales for the sake of revenge.

"So, what do we do? Storm into a Carnales Colombian drug meeting and shoot everyone we see?" Dex asked incredulously.

"Sounds fun to me," Johnny yelled from the other side of the room, his head buried in a Playboy magazine.

Everyone rolled their eyes and ignored him. A moment of silence fell over the group as they weighed their options. Dex and Troy stood there, fuming for their own personal reasons, while Julius stood there lazily, knowing they would follow his orders no matter what they felt.

"Wait," Gabriella jumped up, an idea suddenly coming to her mind. "The meeting his happening at the pier right? It's near a bunch of surrounding buildings with a vantage point. We don't have to storm the meeting. Get a couple saints on the roofs and a sniper. We can interrupt the meeting and take out some key players in the process."

Julius nodded, seemingly pleased with Gabriella's idea, while Dex frowned in concentration. Gabriella could tell that he was going over the idea in his mind, and he nodded in approval.

"Aight kid. Since you came up with this, you lead a small team and crash their meeting. Make sure no Carnales walk away," Julius said smoothly, turning to Troy and Dex. "I don't care what you both do, just get the drugs out of the station. Keep the body count low."

* * *

The warm feeling of nostalgia slid down Gabriella's frame as she stood with Troy in Friendly Fire, trying to find the best gun for her mission. The only thing that made this situation a little different was that Dex was there as well, drilling her on all of his plans. Julius said that to spare the Colombians in attendance, but drop every Carnales soldier there. This was the perfect chance to show the Saints' strength by crippling the Carnales right in front of the cartel. What better way than to demonstrate the efficiency of the Saints by killing Hector Lopez, brother of Angelo and head of Los Carnales?

Gabriella was well aware of the retaliation that would come from killing the gang leader, and she was concerned that he may have bodyguards that would complicate getting a good shot at him. Dex scoffed and offhandedly told her, _"Hector is too proud and headstrong to have backup like that. He'll probably think his heavy LC escort is enough and be mostly unprotected."_ Although no one really discussed it out loud, Dex had prepared a contingency plan in case Manuel had been lying and was trying to lure the Saints into a trap.

"Heh, seems like I'm always strapping you up with guns, huh kid?" Troy grinned and handed Gabriella the Mcmanus, a semi-automatic sniper rifle. "But this…" Troy paused, giving the gun a playfully longing look, "This is the cream of the crop right here."

Dex rolled his eyes and Troy's antics. "Yeah, you actually picked out a good gun for once. I can't believe you gave my sister a damn Vice 9," he quipped, motioning at the gun holstered protectively against Troy's hip.

"I think it's a pretty good gun," he said simply, shrugging off Dex's remark. "It's reliable, easy to use…"

"And weak. Its takes two rounds to drop somebody!" Dex threw his hands up in frustration. Gabriella raised an eyebrow, already able to tell that they had both had this conversation before. "Honestly, the only people who actually use those seriously are cops."

Troy stiffened. Dex and Gabriella failed to notice.

"Alright Gabbie." She rolled her eyes and turned to stare blandly at Dex, knowing he was going to go over the plan _again._ "Try to take Hector out first, so we get the upper hand either way. Then, you go for his crew. Spare anyone you suspect are related to the drug cartel, and get the hell out of there," he explained, walking her out to her car.

"Alright Dex, I got you," Gabriella sat the gun her passenger seat (hell, the gun was so damn big, it DESERVED its own seating!) and turned back, finding Dex pulling her close into a hug.

His arms wrapped around her in protection and affection, and he murmured the soft words "Please be safe" in her wild, curly tresses. Dex was not a physically affectionate person, feeling that the best way to show that he cares by protecting and sheltering the people he cares for. When it came to Gabriella, she knew that he loved her, he just had a gruff way of showing it. Having to become the man of the house at a young age, Dex's once round and soft edges became harsh and jagged from taking on grown-up responsibilities too early in life. Adulthood held no mercy for Dex and he learned to toughen up and build up secure defenses around his sometimes fragile feelings. Gabriella rarely got a peek of the old Dexter, but when he stood back and stared into her eyes, all of his insecurities, fears, and woes were laid before her like frayed, worn rug.

He was scared.

Scared for her. Scared for himself. Scared for the retribution that would come with assassinating a leader of Stilwater's most ruthless gangs.

"I will. I promise," she took his hand in hers, grinning to try and bring some humor into the somber situation. "I'm a saint, remember?"

He chuckled, trying to shake off his brotherly feelings. "Well, Troy and I gotta hit this station, I'll see you soon." Gabriella watched as Troy and Dex hopped into a vehicle of their own and sped down the street. Once their taillights grew dim in the distance, she got in her own car and started her trek towards the pier. Her team had been briefed beforehand and everyone knew their positions and their orders. Gabriella was to take the first shot, and the rest were to follow suit.

 _Hopefully, it will be that simple._

* * *

Turns out that nothing about this would simple in the slightest. As Dex suggested, the Saints used alternative methods of getting to the rooftops surrounding the docks. Instead of taking stair cases or possible elevators, they opted for climbing on trash compactors and scaling the walls using any outside air vents. Carrying the cumbersome gun and swinging from window to window, Gabriella was sure she had done enough cardio for a lifetime.

"Finally," she grunted, hoisting herself up onto the roof and looking around. She saw some taller walls and pieces jutting from the rooftop that would make suitable and stable cover, so she began crawling towards it, careful to keep low. The cheap shingle roofing felt cool against her clammy skin as she took her position. With her current position, Gabriella had an amazing vantage point of this particular side of the docks, and she was relieved to know that none of her men were visible. If she could see them, then the enemy could see them as well. The idea was to strike from different points and confuse the Carnales who would hopefully fire shots in a frenzy without much sense of where the attacks would be coming from. If they did everything quickly and effectively, then that's exactly what would happen.

The sounds of the ocean crashing against the wooden docks and the occasional horn of a nearby ship were the only things that broke through the stillness. Slowly, there was movement. Carnales began to come out, almost one by one, stationing themselves on the ships anchored near the docks. A parade of red cars drove through from the left, and a few white cars filed in from the right. Gabriella looked through the scope of her gun, mentally cursing. These Carnales were armed, and not just with any weapons. Rocket launchers.

Sweat dripped from her forehead as she began to realize the danger levels of this mission had skyrocketed, but there was nothing that could be done. To avoid complicating the situation, she had foregone any means of communication with other saints, so she couldn't just call off the mission. This was their best chance to take out Hector and cripple the Carnales permanently. She held her breath, watching as a man with dark hair and dressier clothing emerged from the car, guarded by two men with guns.

 _Manuel is here…_ Gabriella looked and saw Manuel walking forward slowly. Whether or not he knew of the Saints plan, she wasn't exactly sure, but now was a good a time as any.

Gabriella lined up her shot, making sure Hector's head was within the brackets of her sniper's crosshairs.

 _Thrssp!_

The gun came to life. Gabriella could feel the heat as the bullet exploded from the barrel, the sound slightly muffled by the silencer. Hector was in mid-step when the bullet tore through his neck with a force so violent, it practically decapitated him. Blood splattered on his bodyguards, who quickly knelt down to see what had happened. The bloody scene forced the Carnales into action as they raised their rockets and began to fire in almost all directions.

"Shit!" Gabriella yelled and threw herself down onto the shingles for cover, knowing that her hiding place had been partially discovered. Her ears began to ring as rockets sailed over her head, nearly killing her. The ground shook as some projectiles simply hit the building she was on, but she knew that this was almost as bad. If they couldn't hit her directly, then they would just assault the building and cause it to collapse from the heavy fire. Gabriella barely had time to line up another shot before gunfire rang out from other buildings nearby. One by one, the Carnales started to fall, having been killed or mortally wounded by the bullets. It was already said that Gabriella would take the first shot and that it would signal the other saints stationed in nearby to begin their assault.

Gabriella watched as the Colombians, who were in no ways prepared for this sort of fight, made their escape. Manuel had to have known that he and his posse were not the targets tonight. The only ones getting shot at where Carnales gang members.

The fight was over in a matter of minutes. The Carnales, although armed to the teeth, were completely caught off guard by the ambush and considering they fired blindly into the buildings lining the docks, none of the rockets reached their intended targets. Bodies were strewn about, blood pooling and dripping from the nearby ships. It was over, and Gabriella had never been so shaken. It was just a few weeks ago that she was in school, living a happy, somewhat normal life. But now, she was out doing things. Committing gruesome and ruthless acts of violence that even she couldn't have imagined before this. As she looked out at the scene of carnage before her, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction. With the Colombians having witnessed some of this fight, the Saints showed their strength and their ability to take down gang members and their leaders. Exactly what Manuel Orejuela was looking for in a prospective client.

According to Dex, it wouldn't take very long for the Carnales to regroup and begin an even heavier assault on the Saints. Hector was the level-headed one of the two brothers, and Angelo's passionate irrationality would certainly be the undoing of the Carnales, no matter how formidable they were.

Gabriella jumped at the sudden vibration in her pocket, and she pulled out her phone. "Hello?"

"Hey playa. Is it done?" Julius's voice came through, causing Gabriella to smile.

"Yeah. It's done," she said simply, laying her gun down on the roof.

"Good job. Hurry up and meet us back at the church. I've got someone I want you to meet."

Someone he wants her to meet?

 **Sorry for such a late update . Between my new job, financial and electronic problems, I am just now finishing it. Look for an update soon! :D**


	8. Enter Lin

**Hey everyone. Hope you enjoy! Rate and review!**

* * *

Gabriella sighed dreamily, allowing the tropical smell of her shower bomb envelope her senses. The warm water caressed her bruised caramel skin, and she winced at the burning sensation against her back. The heat from those rockets grazed her back, and the adrenalin that was coursing through her veins prevented her from feeling it. Julius had summoned her to the church after her mission, but she had made it clear that she needed to take a breather after everything that happened.

She had neglected her physical appearance far too long, and Gabriella had begun to look and feel like one of the guys.

After returning to her home, which now had Saints guarding it to prevent more drive-bys, her reflection left her feeling disgusted. Dirt and bloody scratches decorated her dull, listless skin her once defined curls were matted and gathered under a purple bandana. She looked like a soldier. A warrior. When Gabriella looked into her own eyes, she saw a new person. She saw a woman who had seen death, destruction and survived. After having done her share of dirt for the Saints, Gabriella felt like it was time to take care of herself.

An hour later, Gabriella had tackled her mangy tresses and turned them from a tangled mess to smooth, defined curls. With a fresh white shirt, purple cargo pants, and a black snapback, she felt a lot better and more confident to present herself to the world.

The walk was brisk and she grinned at the Saints she met on the way to the church. They murmured their congratulations and gave her quickly pats on the back. It gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling, something she would never admit out loud. The idea of having the approval of these hardened criminals meant more to her than any grade she could get at her old school, and that alone was the sign that she was undergoing an emotional metamorphosis.

"Sup, bitches!" Gabriella yelled, bursting through the doors of the church. "Hey," Dex ran over and scooped her in a hug. "Glad you made it back safe." The next person to pull her into a hug was Johnny, who had a smirk plastered on his face. "Heard you were out kicking some Carnales ass!" "Yup." Gabriella tried to act nonchalant about her victory, but the grin on her face wasn't exactly helping. Gabriella didn't have enough time to relish in their embrace before her head snapped back from the crook of his neck when his hands playfully squeezed her ass.

"You smell good, ma," he murmured lowly. Even though his face was buried in her neck, the grin she felt against her skin hinted that Johnny was screwing with her. Dex looked like he was about to pistol whip him in the back of the head, and Troy went in for a less touchy hug after Dex's s teeth-kissing prompted Johnny to release his intimate hold on Gabriella. "If we are done with the congratulations," Julius sighed, walking into the room with a woman in tow. "We got business to discuss." Gabriella scrutinized the woman more carefully.

She was tall with flawless fair skin. Her facial features indicated she was of Asian descent, like Johnny. Her black hair was held in a messy updo with a bang sweeping to hide her left eye. Her clothing consisted of a tight, sleeveless crop top and her pants rode low on her hips, revealing a tribal tattoo on her hip. Gabriella's defenses spiked as she took in her royal blue pants, the signature color of the Westside Rollerz. "Gabriella, meet Lin" Lin looked Gabriella up and down and gave her a small smile. "Sup," Lin said simply, eyeing Gabriella up and down, something Gabriella was beginning to get used to from the females around here.

Although Aisha would stare at her in disgust, wanting to pick her apart and pounce on any weakness, Lin's cool eyes did nothing but take in Gabriella's measure. It didn't completely set Gabriella off, it just annoyed her enough to break eye contact.

 _Do I have two heads or something…?_

"The fuck you wearin' blue for?" Johnny scoffed, lazily motioning at her pants. "I was assigned to go undercover with the Rollerz. Duh," Lin said lamely, causing Troy to snort. "Was that your choice? Can't imagine _choosing_ that..." His voice held a slightly bitter edge, and Gabriella took notice of that.

"It's better that I do it," Lin sighed. "You and Johnny are too hotheaded, and Dex is too...ya know… Black." Dex rolled his eyes and threw up his hands. "Like I wanna be around some empty-headed street racing bastards anyways," he grumbled. Lin shrugged, clearly unfazed and unimpressed. "You'd be surprised," was her simple response.

She seemed so easy-going, very cool and reserved. She didn't seem like the type to waste her time defending or explaining herself. Lin was a woman of action.

"My question is, what's so special about the Rollerz that warrants some black ops mission?" Gabriella asked Lin.

Lin's delicate eyebrows creased in thought, and she smiled slightly. "Well, besides the fact that the Rollerz have a lock on Chop Shop activities for all of Stilwater, word has been floating around about some big shipment. Cars or drugs, doesn't really matter. We find out this mystery shipment, and we go from there. The last thing we need is for these rich boys to expand their business to anywhere else."

"Wait wait, that's it? That ain't no plan," Johnny argued, waving his pistol around. "Where's the blood? The bullets?"

"Not everyone is a psychopath, Johnny," Lin rolled her eyes playfully, a grin etched on her face. "Besides, I got a plan. It just won't involve any of you ****heads."

That comment seemed to catch everyone's attention. "Won't need us? Who are you wanting then?" Dex raised an eyebrow.

To Gabriella's surprise, Lin pointed a leather glove-clad finger in her direction. "I need the newbie."

Ah Crap….

* * *

Gabriella felt her blood pressure spike once more as Lin narrowly missed another oncoming vehicle. Despite her maniacal driving, it was obvious that Lin had driving skill. She weaved and swerved between lanes and traffic, smoothly drifting through turns. It wasn't hard to understand why Lin had been chosen to spy on the Rollerz. Her affinity for cars and speed made her a perfect candidate to ascend the ranks of the Rollerz and become a key member.

Horns blared and Gabriella's ears rung from the expletives that Lin shouted through the open window. "Sounds like something Johnny might say," Gabriella commented lightly.

"Yeah, he really can rub off on you after awhile," Lin laughed, making another sharp turn. "I can tell he kinda likes you."

Gabriella felt her cheeks warm and she shook her head, trying to shake that thought away before it took root.

"Nah," she tried to brush off Lin's words nonchalantly. "He's with that girl, Aisha."

"Oh god! Seriously?" Lin groaned, banging her head on the steer wheel dramatically, causing the car to swerve a little too far to the right for Gabriella's liking . "I told him to get rid of that girl! Honestly, that boy just won't listen to reason."

Gabriella jumped back, slightly shocked by Lin's explosive reaction. "I take it you don't like her either?" Lin scoffed, shaking her head in disgust.

"She clings to the boy like a parasite, it's fucking stupid. I keep telling him that she will be the undoing of the Saints and him, but he brushes it off like it's nothing."

"Why would he brush off something like that?" Gabriella slid further down in her seat, slightly depressed. What kind of person stays with someone after EVERYONE comments on how bad their partner is? Johnny looked at the Saints as his family. And in a lot of ways, they were the only family he truly had. Would he really jeopardize that for her sake?

"He feels like he's god," Lin said simply. "He feels like he can handle her, so I've backed off. But I've made it known to him that the second she steps out of line, I'm going to end her, whether he forgives me for it or not."

Gabriella smiled wryly at her words. "From the way Johnny acts, I didn't know he was a person capable of forgiveness. He seems like the type to shoot at a dead body if it makes him feel better."

"Johnny is like my brother. We kinda are. Besides the whole Asian thing, we both grew up on the same block. He joined the Saints and I followed suit, knowing his attitude might get him killed," Lin explained, smiling softly at the memories that flashed before her mind's eye. "He was talking to Aisha at the time, but when Julius assigned me to the Rollerz, things got out of hand without me being there to stop it."

Gabriella could more than sympathize with Lin regarding Johnny. She felt hopeless a lot of times trying to protect her older brother, Dex. It is a difficult thing to try and shield someone who not only doesn't want your aid, but thinks they are invincible and can withstand anything. But unlike Lin, who would back off and allow her loved ones to bump their head, Gabriella couldn't do that. She felt compelled to try and steer people in the right direction until the very last second, and she often found herself getting involved in their crap because she refused to leave them to deal with the consequences. Although she didn't mind being in the Saints, Gabriella knew it wasn't an ideal spot for her, and it isn't ideal for Lin to protect Johnny while trying to handle the Rollerz either. Gabriella found the idea of protecting someone so stubborn a very sobering and unshakable thought.

 _Selfish men can place selfless women in really undesirable situations…_

Silence took over the car as both women stewed in their annoyance, both for reasons not so different from one another's. Roach motels and brothels shifted to fancy houses and honorable establishments as Lin drove into the heart of the Suburbs, the main stomping ground of the Westside Rollerz.

"Hey, where are we going?" Gabriella asked quietly, still down about their previous conversation.

"If you are gonna help me, I need to see you race," Lin turned down a street that was bursting with life. People clad in blue and scantily-clad girls littered the sidewalks. Barrels lines the street ahead and expensive, highly-tuned cars pulled up near the barrels. It looked like something out of the Fast and Furious franchise!

"Wait, what?" Gabriella yelped and found herself face to face with a dark blue shirt.

"Put this on. Can't have you looking too out of place," Lin grinned at her nervousness. "And don't sweat it. Johnny will come around. I saw how he looked at you."

Gabriella sighed, feeling her heart do that foolish prancing again at her words, but she shook it off. She had to focus.

"What exactly are we going to be doing?" Gabriella pulled the blue top over her head, ignoring the static electricity from the friction of her hair at the cotton shirt.

"Nothing too serious, just want you to get your feet wet with racing. In order to blend in, you gotta atleast know how to ride," Lin pulled up to the starting line and hopped out of the driver's seat, motioning for Gabriella to take their place.

Apprehensively, Gabriella slid over and buckled herself in and rolled down the window.

"Listen, your job isn't to get into first place, alright? Just being in the top five will be enough to piss these guys off. But if you do get in first place, even better. Just follow the barrels and use them as a guide," Lin explained quickly.

"W-wait! What about the police? If they see us all speeding won't we get pulled over?" Panic began to set in Gabriella's veins as a girl with a blue flag sauntered past the cars and stood at the front.

"Bought off! Good luck kid!" Lin yelled and backed away from the vehicle, standing with a crowd of Rollerz on the sidewalk.

Gabriella breathed in sharply and took the car out of park, revving the engine like the others racers. Driving is one thing, racing is a completely different ballgame that Gabriella lacked familiarity with. Hell, she had never driven 6 miles above the speed limit in her life!

Certain that the hard leather must have fingerprints from how hard she was gripping it, but refusing to let go, she watched the busty blonde raise her blue flag.

"Ready? GO!" She yelled, barely giving Gabriella time to settle her nerves before everyone's cars roared to life. Her head banged against the headrest as the car shot off, taking her by surprise.

"Daaaamn!" Gabriella glanced in her rearview as one of the racers actually hit the girl in an effort to take off from the starting line!

Gabriella bobbed and weaved through the semi traffic, laughing as bystanders either cheered the rebellious racers on or cursed them out for their flagrant disregard for traffic signals. Lin's car took sharp turns like a dream and Gabriella found herself effortlessly drifting past cars that were not as fast, easily earning her a place with the top 5.

"C'mon, whatchu got bitch?!" a rival racer yelled and zoomed past Gabriella, putting her in third place. Gabriella heard the gas pedal scrape against the metal as she floored it, trying to catch up with the lead racer.

The race was only a sprint race, just around the block, and Gabriella already saw the finish line coming into view. She wouldn't get first, but she was more than determined to at least finish second place. Neck and neck with some punk in a raycaster, he whistled and honked, trying to throw Gabriella off her concentration.

"Do you know what we do to hoes like you?! We fu-AHHHHH!" Gabriella turned her head as the idiotic loud mouth collided head first into oncoming traffic, allowing her to clutch second place by a mere few seconds.

"Woah!" Gabriella ran her fingers through her hair as she parked by the sidewalk. That was close! She could literally feel her heart in her throat, and it had only been a 2 minute race! The taunting, the speed, the rush of adrenaline when you win was an intoxicating combination. No wonder people did this shit for a living!

"Holy shit, did you see that?! He totally ate it at the last minute!" Lin practically yanked Gabriella from the driver's seat, pulling her into a hug. "That was pretty sick for your first race, you're a natural! How did it feel?"

"I'll tell you all about it when my heart is back in my chest," Gabriella panted out, causing Lin to laugh.

Don't sweat it," Lin rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. "The more you do it, the easier it gets."

"Haha! That's what she said," a male voice came from behind them and Gabriella turned to see a short, fair-skinned man walking over to them. He wore a blue, black and white racing jacket and black pants. With bright blue highlighted hair, he blended in perfectly with the Rollerz crowd.

"Really mature, Donnie," Lin deadpanned, causing Donnie to deflate slightly.

"Ah, come on Lin," he gave her a lopsided grin. "You know that was pretty funny!" His words caused Lin to snort.

Gabriella watched their exchange, feeling very much like a third wheel, till Donnie looked her up and down and stuck out his hand happily.

"Hey, I'm Donnie," he chirped, "nice to meet you! That was some badass racing out there. Not surprising though, cuz Lin only surrounds herself with the best."

"Then I wonder why I keep you around," Lin joked, causing Donnie to roll his eyes.

"Thanks," Gabriella smiled, shaking his hand firmly. Donnie nodded and looked at Lin, motioning for her follow him.

"Come on, Joseph is having a meeting about some shipment and he wants me there, so let's go."

"And why am I needed again?" Lin asked lamely, already taking a step in his direction.

"Because these meetings are boring and I need some entertainment, Lin. Let's go!"

Lin looked as if she was about to say something, but she decided against it. Gabriella's ears perked up, hearing Donnie mention the shipment, and she looked at Lin and motioned for her to go.

"I can make it back to the Row on my own," Gabriella said quickly. The walk was far, but jacking a car was only a few feet away. "Take your car and follow Donnie. Maybe you can get some more information. I'll talk to you later."

Lin nodded and smirked. "Aight, get out of here and be safe."

The crowd of Rollerz began to thin and Gabriella watched Lin's tail lights fade in the distance. With a sigh, she began to somewhat long trek back towards Saints territory. Of course, she could have called someone to come and pick her up so she could avoid the long walk, but the last thing anyone needed was for a Saints to just roll into enemy territory. Leisurely steps turned into a slight jog as Gabriella realized just how much danger she was in by walking out here in Rollerz territory, and the thought made her chuckle to herself. Just a few weeks ago, all she wanted was for her and Dex to get out of the projects and move to the Suburbs, but now the Suburbs looked a lot less desirable than being near the Row.

The amount of danger Lin willingly put herself in for the Saints was so great, it almost seemed stupid, and it was apparent that not everyone was hip to the idea of her doing this. Especially Troy.

Gabriella ducked down an alleyway that connected to a parking lot, trying to find a car to steal. It was getting dark and the last thing she needed was to get stuck in this area of Stilwater. Getting stranded and having a saint risk their life and potentially exposing Lin's undercover position was absolutely not an option for Gabriella.

She gently tugged on a door handle, doing a mental happy dance when the car door opened.

"Now to hotwire this baby and get back…"

With barely a foot in the car, Gabriella didn't notice the approaching footsteps. She felt heavy wood collide with her skull as she was struck from behind with a baseball bat. Gabriella fell limply to the cold pavement, her limbs twitching from the pain. Beige heels clicked around her head as her assailant hovered over her.

"Hey sweetie. A little late for you to be out here, ain't it?" A woman's voice reached the semi-conscious Gabriella's ears, and she felt herself being picked up by someone. Someone strong…

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't fight the darkness that creeped from behind her eyes, and she began to surrender to it, barely making out the color of her kidnapper's shirt.

 _Yellow._

* * *

 **Hey guys! SOOOO sorry for the extremely late update. Besides working and saving up for school, I've been struggling with the direction of this story. Do I want to follow the actual game, or do I want to take elements of it and make up something entirely new? Still struggling with that, but I thought I should atleast keep writing to see where it takes me. Thank you for your support and your patience :)**


	9. Pain

Pain. That was the only thing that could pierce through the d darkness. Her cranium pulsated from the trauma of the blow to her skull. It was almost relieving to not be awake to deal with the full weight of the pain, but she knew she'd have to push through it. Not doing so could mean her life.

Her ears tuned themselves to her surroundings, her body trying to decipher its location.

 _Relax…_

 _What the_ _hell?! I thought you were going to talk to her, not bang her over the head!_

 _I said_ _ **relax.**_ _I doubt she'll die sweetie._

 _And what if she does? Johnny's won't be happy._

 _Since when do you care about Johnny's happiness? He obviously doesn't care about yours._

This voice…

No. Voices.

Two.

Two….two women?

"Nnngh…" Gabriella let out a soft groan, rolling her head from side to side. The leather felt cool against her throbbing skull.

"Wake up, bitch. We've wasted enough time watching you sleep."

"Go to hell." Gabriella's throat felt dry and hoarse, her tongue felt heavy and tasted of vomit, but she spat the words out any ways. What kind of punk hits a girl from behind? "Too scared to face me so you hit me from behind? You're the bitch."

"You don't even know who you are speaking to. I could end you right here..."

Gabriella turned towards the voice while she struggled to open her eyes.

"So do it," Gabriella taunted, "and quit wasting my goddamn time."

The voice laughed. Sultry, smooth, overconfident. And annoying as hell.

"No sweetie. I think I'm going to leave you alive. As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to push you out of a moving van and onto the street to dump you like the trash you are. Only seems fair, given how you bombed Warren's building."

Warren…that name. The Vice Kings! The information washed over Gabriella like a douse of cold water. She had been hit in the head and kidnapped by the Vice Kings, which more than explained that ugly yellow shirt she remembered seeing before blanking out. It truly hit her just how much danger she was really in, and it only made her fight harder to open her eyes.

The lights inside the car burned her retinas, but she forced them to remain open. The black metal interior seemed to vibrate and she saw doubles of everything. From her position, Gabriella was able to make out the two women. Olive skintone, beige bikini top and matching miniskirt, her long legs were clad in bright white stockings, with beige-colored hooker heels to match.

"What are you? Some power-tripping prostitute?" Gabriella groaned, trying to best to sit up.

"Close," the woman nodded and motioned for the other woman to open the van's back door.

Gabriella's eyes drifted to the other woman to scoot by on the opposite side of the van. Dark skin, braids…

Aisha…

"Wait. Aisha?" Gabriella reached out for her as the van's doors flew open. Whether it was to ask for help or to ring her neck, she wasn't exactly sure of. As the driver of the van sped up, Gabriella's limp body slid further and further back on the slippery leather.

 _Can't move…my legs._

Helpless, Gabriella slid out of the van and into light traffic. Cars swerved, barely missing her bruised body. Loose stones and street litter dug into Gabriella's skin as she rolled limply through the street, her body finally coming to a stop in the middle of the road. Pedestrians either screamed or took out their phones to record what they believed to be a young woman dying in the middle of the road.

That familiar darkness began to make its way back from behind her eyes. Feather-light eyelids became heavier than boulders. The banter and yells of the mob that crowded her seemed to fade into a white noise.

Darker…

Darker…

 _That whore tried to kill me…._

She blanked out.

* * *

 _Beep…Beep….Beep…_

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open, once again being burned by the somewhat bright lights hanging overhead. As her eyes adjusted, she took in her sterile surroundings. The walls were bathed in a strange blueish semi-white color and that signature smell that every hospital seems to have, for some reason, invaded her nose. She momentarily glanced at the heartrate monitor machine near her bed and her eyes followed the tube that extended from the IV bag to the needle stuck in her arm.

A Good Samaritan decided that rather than making a spectacle of her, they thought it would be better to call an ambulance and that is how she ended up lying in a bed at Stilwater Memorial Hospital. After she had been hit in the head, kidnapped and shoved from a moving vehicle and into the street. By Aisha, no less!

Of course Gabriella didn't place all the blame on Aisha, it was mostly that other bitch.

Before Gabriella's thoughts turned violent, a man in a labcoat stepped in, wearing that regular "doctor" smile.

"Ah, I see the patient is awake. You took a pretty nasty fall, Ms. Jackson."

 _Ya don't say._

"What's the damage? Do I have to stay here long?" Gabriella sighed, not really in the mood for small talk.

"Well, Ms. Jackson," the doctor sighed and glanced at his clipboard. "You did suffer from some head trauma towards the occipital lobe as a result of head trauma." She winced, fisting the thin bedsheets in her hand.

"There is some swelling in that area and as a result, you will experience some difficulties seeing. Hallucinations and such," he explained simply. As if this was no big deal. As if seeing things that weren't there wouldn't affect her daily life and her position as a 3rd Street Saint. The doctor wasn't aware of this last fact, but Gabriella knew that if she was going to survive going to battle against any one of any caliber, she needed to be able to rely on her sight. And it seemed that at the moment, her vision was one of the last things she could count on. Nothing else could have been more devastating, besides losing the use of her limbs.

According to the doctor, aside from the damage to the back of her brain, she was in fairly good condition. If not being able to tell reality from fantasy was considered to be in "fairly good condition…"

She wanted revenge. That woman could have just killed her. Considering Gabriella had been laying in that van more vulnerable than she was willing to admit, pulling the barrel to her temple and pulling the trigger could have been simple. Instead, she chose to damage her just enough to take her out of the fight for a while.

One thing Gabriella never lacked, was confidence. In everything that she did, she gathered her courage and swaggered in with bravado. At least she tried to, and it often worked out in her favor. To mess with her confidence was a blow lower than anything Gabriella could have imagined, besides taking out her loved ones.

She needed redemption.

Eye for eye.

Tooth for tooth.

Blood for blood.

If the Vice Kings tried to cripple her, she would do the same. Brick by brick, bullet by bullet, she was determined to tear them apart.

Determination set in her veins as she began to quickly formulate a plan. Nothing too strenuous, because injuring herself further was not an option. Reaching for the nearby landline, she dialed the only person who could really help her do this. Someone who was just as petty as she was feeling.

"Johnny? I need your help."

 _ **Flashback: 1 hour ago**_

 _ **The small flame from his cigarette was the only thing illumination the darkness. The small bit of light enabled him to see the sweaty body next to him. Her skin was as dark and smooth as molasses, braids fuzzy and a d scattered against the stark white pillow she was laying on. Little beads of sweat ran down the delicate curve of her back, the sheets barely covering her round ass. The sight before him almost beckoned him to wake her up for another round, but he knew she needed her rest.**_

 _ **Aisha had practically broke down his apartment door and tackled him to the floor, something Johnny wasn't exactly used to. Lately, she would only allow him access to her body if he begged and pleaded for it, and Johnny never really took a shine to begging for what he thought was his. Most would just move on and sleep with another woman, but he wasn't built that way. If he was with a woman, she was it for him. Plain and simple. He didn't believe that woman were interchangeable, not for him at least.**_

 _ **He looked back down at his girlfriend, letting his free hand get tangled in her braids.**_

 _ **She had been hungry for him. He saw the lust, the desperation in her eyes when she walked into his house, and he had been more than ready to deliver. It had been apparent that something had been bothering her, but Johnny decided to sweep her emotions under the rug to satiate his own lusts.**_

 _ **Selfish? Maybe. And Johnny would never deny that it was.**_

 _ **He rocked her body and screwed her into what he thought would be heavenly bliss., but Aisha only dwelled at those gates for a few moments. The second the orgasmic waves stopped rolling, she sunk right back into the mysterious sadness that she had arrived with. He could see it now, even while she slept. Her twisted back, hands clenching the covers, and a furrowed brow were mute testimony that his attempt to appease his girlfriend had been a failure. Then again, she wasn't the easiest person to please.**_

 _ **If Johnny ever did something, it wasn't right. He should have done it a different way, or there was someone who did it better and faster than him.**_

 _ **He physically bristled at this thought. He hated being compared to anyone else, and Aisha did it to him constantly. He had learned to tune it out over time, but he was still aware that it was going on in the background, whether he was listening to it or not. Gabriella never made her feel that way…**_

" _ **Shit! Now I'm doing it," Johnny groaned out loud, stubbing his cigarette out in the nearby ashtray.**_

 _ **His…feelings towards Gabriella were both confusing and exciting at the same time. She was little more than a child in his eyes, just getting her feet wet in the world of gang warfare, but her eagerness and excitement fueled him. She was exactly like he was a few years ago when he first joined the Saints. Ready, willing and more than able. She wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty and that's what he liked the most about her.**_

 _ **Scratches and bullet holes didn't faze her. Aisha wouldn't have any dealings with anything that got her well-manicured hands dirty.**_

 _ **Johnny didn't feel guilty about these thoughts. After all, he wasn't exactly comparing the two women. Gabriella was the brightest day while Aisha was the darkest night!**_

 _ **But shouldn't his GIRLFRIEND be his sunlight? His life? His whole world?**_

 _ **Now THAT thought made Johnny feel guilty…**_

 _ **Johnny would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to Aisha, especially if it was because his status in the Saints put her in harm's way. But he wouldn't stop being who he was or doing what he did just because of that. Aisha always made it a point to show her independence and tell him that she was a big girl, capable of making it on her own.**_

 _ **He wasn't necessary.**_

 _ **The vibrating cellphone on his nightstand shook him out of his ponderings and he glanced skeptically at the number.**_

" _ **Unknown…" he sighed and answered it, holding it up to his ear. "Hello?"**_

" _ **Johnny? It's Gabriella. I need your help." His blood ran cold. Shivers tap-danced up and down his spine. She sounded like pure hell.**_

" _ **Where the hell are you? This number is coming up as unknown."**_

" _ **I'm at the hospital. Please hurry."**_

 _ **He sprang into action.**_

 _ **If she needed him, he was available, no matter who or what was in front of him. Johnny looked at the still sleeping Aisha. He leaned over and brushed a kiss against her head.**_

" _ **Forgive me," he whispered gently. He got up and quickly slipped into his clothes. Packing a pistol, he silently left the house and bolted towards his car. Gabrielle needed him, and like the loyal slave he knew he was slowly becoming, he sped off towards the hospital.**_

 _ **End of Flashback.**_

* * *

The door practically flew open and came off of its hinges as Johnny took long strides to her bedside. He grabbed her hand and glared at her.

"What the hell happened?! You went to a street race, not a prison brawl."

Gabriella squeezed his hand and tried her best to recount what she could remember about her being kidnapped. The more she spoke, the more pissed Johnny became. By the end of her tale, he was fuming.

"Who?" was all he could grind out.

She hesitated. What would happen if she told him that Aisha had been there? That Aisha was the one who opened the doors and let her slide out into the street? Honestly, that piece of information was more personal than factual. The point was that Tanya was the one who orchestrated this attack, and that who is the Saints should target. It was Johnny's job to handle the Vice Kings, and involving his girlfriend would only make things more complicated for him.

"Who was it, Gabriella!" Johnny pressed her for the information, gripping her hand tighter.

"Tanya. She said it was payback for the recording studio."

Johnny sighed and ran his hand through his hair roughly. Gabriella could already tell he was beginning to blame himself for it, but she wasn't having it. She was a saint, she knew the risk of retaliation was extremely high, especially when they attack so close to home. They crippled the main source of the Vice Kings' funding, so it was natural that they fight back. It was brutal, but somewhat expected.

"Don't. Don't you blame yourself for this," Gabriella tried to give him a reassuring smile, but the pounding at the back of her head made it come out as more of a grimace. "Let's just focus on what we are going to do about it."

"Are you serious? You are laying in the hospital with bandages around your head, talking about retaliation. You will only hurt yourself." Gabriella deflated at his words.

He was right, but that wasn't why she called him. She didn't want to hear the truth, she wanted to shed blood. She wanted to blindly (almost literally…) run into Vice King territory and kill anyone who was wearing gold, but if Johnny, the most illogical tactician she knew, was pointing out that it was dangerous, then it was.

Silence engulfed the room and Gabriella did nothing to break it. Johnny's pacing was a sign that he was thinking, and she didn't want to break his concentration, especially if he was trying to think of a compromise that would satisfy them both.

"Was it just Tanya or were there others?" Gabriella scooted over to make a little space for Johnny to sit down next to her.

The words caught in her throat and she bit her lip to keep them from spilling out. How could she tell him that Aisha, his _girlfriend,_ was the one that pushed her from the moving van? Was it even really her?

According to the doctor, most of the damage came from the bat colliding with the back of her skull, so who could really tell if it was really her or just the onset of brain damage-related symptoms? Although Gabriella was sure that Aisha had really been there, she didn't trust her judgment enough to tell Johnny. For all she knew, that "vision" of Aisha may have just been that.

A vision. Brought on by the subconscious jealousy Gabriella fought hard to keep under the surface. Sadly, it was beginning to leak through the cracks of her own mind and manifest in other, more severe ways, proving that her strung-out mother might have been on to something when she said not to keep things bottled up inside.

She knew she had to deal with her feelings sooner or later, but staring into Johnny's worried, angry eyes, Gabriella figured that dropping the gangster-girlfriend bomb could wait a little longer.

"I can't be too sure. They hit me pretty hard." It wasn't a complete lie. "Johnny, please. Let me go out there and-"

"No." His tone was final, shooting down any argument Gabriella may have been formulating in her mind. "You are not getting hurt again. Let me do this."

Johnny rested his forehead against her own, saying, "let me kill for you."

He stared in her eyes, wanting her to know he meant those words. If someone wanted to get to Gabriella, the only was was to tear through him, and that wasn't easily accomplished.

"Was that supposed to be romantic?" she smirked.

"No, it wasn't." He grinned, rubbing her cheek.

Before Gabriella could say anything else, Johnny's lips pressed against hers in a gentle kiss.

It wasn't anything rough or lust-filled. It was soft. Clean. Meant to comfort rather than arouse, although Gabriella couldn't help but feel the latter.

All to soon, his warm lips left her and he quickly stood up. Gabriella searched his eyes for any signs of regret and found none. That gave her a satisfied feeling.

"I'll be back. I'll send Dex and a couple of other saints to patrol the hospital to make sure none of those bitches try anything," Johnny cracked his neck and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Damn it…" Gabriella laid back against her plush pillows.

Dex was coming. And she knew he wouldn't be happy about this…


	10. Bad Timing

**Hey everybody! Enjoy the next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Saints Row.**

* * *

Dex POV

My sister looked like pure shit.

That's honestly the best way to describe the bruised skin and bloody bandages. She was as pale as a corpse and the only thing that convinced me she was alive was the steady beeping of the heartrate monitor. If it wasn't there, I would have almost believed I was staring at a dead body.

I've never been one to give in to frenzy or panic, but hearing about Gabby in the hospital nearly sent me over the edge.

My heart has never beat that fast. My palms have never been so sweaty.

And my sister has never looked so horrible.

Revenge has never really been my thing, I think it clouds my judgement. But right now, the idea of seeing a bullet lodge itself in a Vice King's brain gave me more satisfaction than anything I could ever gain satisfaction from. The only things keeping my ass glued to this shabby hospital chair were:

1) My sister needed me.

2) Johnny was out there doing all the dirty work.

Every few hours, I'd get a text from Johnny telling me that he took out a Vice King stronghold and he was on to the next one. Johnny was most likely doing that alone, since most of the Saints were out trying to take over Tanya's prostitution business in Prawn Court. It was already planned, but when word got out that Gabriella got hurt because of that bitch, it was a unanimous decision to speed up the process. Most of the Vice King's reinforcements would be directed at Prawn Court, which gave Johnny the cover he needed to rampage. If this kept going, the Vice Kings would be finished within a few days, and I know Gabriella won't be happy about that.

She's the type to want to do things herself rather than having other people act for her. Probably why she called Johnny before she called me.

Any other time, that would have annoyed me, but I know Johnny well enough to know that he wouldn't let her go out and fight injured. Him? Yes. Anyone he cares about? Absolutely not.

The thought made me snort.

Johnny is already protective of her, more than I feel comfortable with. What made her think he would let her leave? She must not have looked in the mirror…

I stood up and took one last look at Gabby, winced, and walked towards the door. Saints were all over the place so I'm not worried about anyone coming in to fuck with her. Tanya's all bark and no bite anyways. Hell, someone else probably pushed Gabriella out of that van.

Hmmm…I'll have to find out about that…

"Johnny…don't go…" her voice came out weak and raspy, but I knew she was still sleeping.

I don't think I've ever rolled my eyes this hard before.

I walked out of the doors without ceremony, knowing their mutual infatuation with each other was something I'd have to nip in the bud.

Eventually.

* * *

Normal POV

" _The city of Stilwater is under siege. And not by foreign enemies from foreign lands, but by the gangs living in our own backyard. Sources tell me that multiple gang-related fights have broken out all over the city and at the center of this melee, the Third Street Saints are inciting this violence. Stilwater police are urging citizens to remain indoors after dark and there is even talk of enforcing a temporary curfew. When will the chaos end? Will Stilwater continue to live in fear? And when, or who, will bring these thugs to justice? I'm Jane Valderama, Channel 6 news."_

Things in Stilwater had yet to calm down. After word spread around to the Saints that Gabriella was in the hospital because of the Vice Kings, everyone was pissed. People rallied behind Johnny as he led a city-wide assault on the Vice Kings, nearly tearing the gang to shreds while other Saints used the confusion to their advantage and began to strike more openly at the other gangs in the city.

With all of the violence and panic, the police were becoming more desperate. As Jane said, the police were having a hard time getting a grasp on the sudden violence, and enforcing a curfew could severely cripple the Saints' operations. Gang numbers spiked as innocent civilians joined for what little protection the gangs could provide, further complicating the situation.

Word on the street was that Julius was, for lack of better words, pissed. This was never his plan; to rush in and tear through everything and everyone without planning it out properly. At the moment, Johnny held more sway over the Saints than Julius, and it was something that needed to be addressed, and quickly.

"I can't help but feel," Gabriella sighed, knowing she was saying this for the umpteenth time, "that this is somewhat my fault."

"It ain't. Trust me on that." Lin took Gabriella's hand and smiled. When she heard that Gabriella was in the hospital, she came over without hesitation. Considering everything that was happening with the Saints, Lin felt it was prudent it drop her blue flags and return to the Saints on a public basis. With the way things were headed, inside information wouldn't do much good. Gabriella was more than thrilled, beginning to see Lin as a good friend and someone she could share her thoughts with. Woman to woman.

"I keep trying to tell you this, Gabby. You can't stop men when they have their minds set. If Johnny is set on killing every person wearing yellow, then you gotta let him do it."

"I know, but-" Gabriella shook her head, not giving up her side of the argument. Lin cut her off before she could speak again.

"Take it from someone who has watched him grow up. That man is as bull-headed as they come. He truly embodies what it means to be a Saint."

"Which is?" Gabriella raised an eyebrow, more than interested to hear what a Saint's definition of a Saint was. Their modus operandi was more based around gaining respect and wiping out anyone who was deemed as a rival. Not the most original tactic, but it seemed to be working in their favor. Especially now…

"We treat each other like family. And anyone who comes against our family, we take all and then some. If they come after our brother, we take their mother. If they come after our cousin, we take their father and their sister."

Lin squeezed Gabriella's hand.

"That's why you shouldn't think any of this is your fault. Your fight is our fight. We are our brother's keeper." Lin sighed and gave Gabriella a crooked grin. "Not the most morally abiding, but we do what we do to protect our own. And that includes you."

Gabriella couldn't help the warm, gooey feeling that coated her bones as she heard Lin's words. To think that everyone would do all of this on her behalf was beyond her comprehension. Although she was more than grateful that the Saints would act in her defense this way, head trauma doesn't warrant all of this chaos. She knew that the violence had to be checked, and she was just hopeful the Saints would be able to regroup and act on one accord again.

As if she was reading her mind, Lin said, "don't worry. Johnny doesn't go rogue very often. But when he does, he always comes back. Although I am surprised. He didn't pitch this big of a fit when that bitch Aisha joined up with the Vice Kings." Lin laughed at her own joke.

Gabriella physically bristled at Aisha's name. Ever the observer, Lin noticed.

"Damn girl, chill. We all know Johnny would eat a nigga alive for you," Lin joked, more than amused by her friend's immediate and hostile reaction.

"It's not that," Gabriella snapped, mainly out of embarrassment. "Aisha may have more of a hand in me being laid out like a little bitch than you think."

"I didn't think she had a part at all," Lin said lamely, but Gabriella knew Lin was more than interested. "Did she really have something to do with this?"

Gabriella paused.

This information wasn't exactly something Gabriella planned to share. Who knows what it would do to Johnny? Not to mention that Gabriella didn't trust her memory of the event, given her current injuries. But, she trusted Lin to keep her secret, but to also keep her eyes and ears open in case she got any confirmation that Gabriella's eyes weren't fooling her that day.

"I can't be too sure," Gabriella said slowly, hoping that Lin would keep that at the forefront of her mind, "but I think Aisha was the one that pushed me out of the van."

Silence.

…

…

…

"WHAT?!" Lin yelled and got up from her chair near the bed, causing the chair to fall over.

"Lin! Shh," Gabriella motioned to the door, where two Saints were stationed on the other side.

"Gabriella, what the hell?" Lin continued in a more hushed tone. "This happened more than a week ago and you are just now mentioning this? What about Johnny? I think he deserves-"

"No!" Gabriella shook her head vehemently. "Absolutely not, I can't tell him. I am not even sure she was there. It might have just been my imagination fucking with me."

She could tell Lin was having a rough time keeping this bottled in. but Gabriella knew she wouldn't tell anyone. Johnny was like a brother to Lin, and Gabriella felt guilty for putting her in the middle of her sordid love triangle, but she had to tell someone.

Dex couldn't hold water and Troy was so relaxed, he'd slip up.

Speaking of which…

"Hey, where's Troy" Gabriella blinked, changing the subject for her own benefit and to satiate her own curiosity. He had been in the hospital to see her and coordinate protection over the hospital, but that was days ago.

"He's right here." Troy strolled in lazily, wearing black pants and a black t-shirt. "He'd also appreciate if you both didn't gossip about him."

Lin rolled her eyes and waved him off. "Ain't nobody talkin' about you."

"Hey," Gabriella smiled as he bent over the bed and gave her a light hug. She took in the smell of cigarettes and gunpowder, something had become his natural scent. It was almost comforting.

There was something strange that just pulled Gabriella to Troy. He seemed smoother, easier-going than the rest. He would have been the spitting image of Dex's personality if it weren't for the air of nonchalance that he carried with him. He was the type to roll with the punches, but his "laziness" could not be confused with inability to perform. When the time comes, Troy is a willing and more than able ally.

"Hey kid," he smiled and backed away from the bed. "Unfortunately, I didn't just come for a visit. Julius is having a mandatory meeting at the church tonight and every Saint has to be there. I just came to pass on the word."

Lin sighed, looking as annoyed as Troy was. "That doesn't explain your all black get-up."

"We're being color-blocked till Julius gets a handle on things," Troy replied, causing Lin to let out a loud groan of frustration. Gabriella was lost.

"Color-block? What's that mean?" It obviously didn't sound like "color-blocking" in the more traditional, fashion sense.

"If the cops are leaning too hard on us or the Saints are under a lot of pressure, we color-block and drop our flags till the coast is clear. Everyone dresses like average civilians until the heat is off. It's obviously not ideal, and Julius is going ape shit that he has to do it all," Troy explained, looking very much like he needed a cigarette.

Julius's anger made sense. Wearing their colors was important for any gang. It showed a lack of fear and pride in their status as a gang member. Not wearing their colors was seen as a form of cowardice and it opened the door for ridicule from rivals. Julius wasn't the type to crack under pressure, so things must have really been bad for him to make that decision. For once, it seemed like Jane Valderama was downplaying the story rather than adding that dramatic flair she was so famous for.

"Great," Lin snapped sarcastically. "I drop my blue flags to wear my true flags, only to be forced to dress like a civilian for God knows how long. Way to welcome a bitch back, Troy."

Troy simply shrugged.

"Wait, is it mandatory that all Saints dress like civilians? What happens if we choose to wear our colors?" Gabriella asked.

"Well, since color-blocking is a way of going under the radar, if a Saint gets in trouble while wearing their colors during that time, we can't help them without giving ourselves away." Troy shook his head again. "It's extreme if you ask me, but people know the risks of flying their flags when we are color-blocking. Hell, the only one who religiously doesn't follow that rule is Johnny."

Of course. Johnny seemed like the exception to every rule. One would consider him an anomaly of sorts, but that would require that everything the Saints have done up till those point be called normal.

Don't get it twisted. Gabriella liked this lifestyle, even with all of its twists and deadly turns, but she wouldn't call it normal. Going to school, choosing a career path, having a family, those were normal things. Joining a gang, falling for a lieutenant and having said lieutenant's jealous girlfriend shove one out of a moving van into oncoming traffic, doesn't exactly scream "normal."

Gabriella swung her legs over the bed and stood up, taking the clothes that Troy handed to her. He had been kind enough to swing by her house and pick up a few of her things so she could go to the meeting. After a week of rest and medication, Gabriella felt strong enough to go. Besides, she wanted to support Johnny in what was sure to be, one of his worst nights.

* * *

It was a strange sight to Gabriella, watching Saints shuffle into the church wearing regular clothes. It was almost…disrespectful to her eyes. This was Saints HQ, not some meeting hall for the local townies.

Gabriella took a deep breath, knowing she had to keep her temper in check. She had to remember that this was something that Julius was telling them to do, so being upset about it wouldn't make things any better. But, she would be lying if she said it didn't look weird. With all these thugs dressed like civilians, it almost looked like a normal church.

Gabriella walked towards the front, smiling and saying thank you to anyone who greeted her and wished her well. Some faces were new, but she was sure that would be addressed tonight.

Due to recent events, Saints membership kicked into high gear in an effort to keep up with the city-wide violence. She was almost positive that some of these people hadn't even been canonized. It was an easy process to overlook, given the current situation.

She sat down on the old wooden pew at the front, waving at Lin and Dex to join her.

"You haven't looked so….you, in a while," Dex commented lightly, more than pleased to see her up and about. He took a seat at her right, while Lin sat on her left.

"Trust me, I don't feel like me at all. Not wearing purple feels out of place, especially in here." Gabriella smiled as both Dex and Lin chuckled.

"That's just the Saint in you talking," Dex's voice went from light-hearted to ominous. "But if things are as bad as I think, you may have to get used to it for a bit."

"C'mon, Dex, it can't be that bad," Lin said off-handedly, but he just shook his head.

"Look around, Lin. All these new people. I'm willing to bet that most of these people haven't even been canonized. Bunch of paperweight motherfuckers," his voice took on a bitter edge.

"Paperweight? I'm getting a lesson on slang today. Who says school is the only place to learn," Gabriella joked.

Dex snorted. "Paperweight is no compliment. It means you can't do shit, and that's exactly how these niggas got in. By not doing a damn thing but saying they wanna be a part."

Within a few minutes, Julius arrived and took his place upfront. Like everyone else, he was dressed in plain civilian clothes, although Gabriella could see the faint, golden chain hidden under his shirt peeking out from his collar. If she looked close enough, Gabriella could make out the print of his fleur-de-lis medallion under his shirt.

Guess old habits do die hard.

He looked beyond pissed, and decided to let everyone in the church know it.

"All you sons of bitches know why we're here," his loud voice carried through the whole room, bouncing off the stone walls (if such a thing was possible) and echoing to the little side rooms throughout the church.

"Look at us, dressed like a bunch of bitches. I lay sleeping in my bed and I get a call that some rambunctious bastards are out causing unsanctioned trouble, and I got a pretty good idea why."

Gabriella had a good idea why too, and the eyes she could feel boring into her from around the room made her suddenly feel naked.

"We are our brother's keeper, but not every incident is cause for starting a fucking riot. I got people telling me that they are increasing police presence in the Row, and there's even talk that they are gonna start doing some curfew shit. Now you tell me, were the last few days of violence worth it?!"

You could hear a pin drop in the room, that's how quiet it was.

"Where the fuck is Gat?" Julius yelled, startling everyone, Gabriella more-so. She feared what Julius might do to him, especially in front of all the people who looked up to him for leadership this past week.

The sound of rubber-soled shoes hitting stone reverberated through the room as Johnny, wearing a black hoody and black sweats walked up the middle aisle to the front.

" _Hell, the only one who religiously doesn't follow that rule is Johnny."_ Troy's words rang in Gabriella's mind, and she felt her stomach began to tie itself in a knot. Johnny must have felt some type of pressure for him to go civilian, but Gabriella was grateful that he didn't look ashamed. He walked with his head high and didn't cower before his obviously angry leader. It was totally quiet as he stood in front of Julius, not bitching out under his harsh, patronizing stare.

"You listen here, lil' nigga," Julius breathed in Johnny's face. "These people," Julius's arm motioned to all the Saints in the room, "are my people. Don't walk around here calling shots like its anything different. You get your attitude in check, or I'll check that shit myself."

Johnny bristled, grinding his jaw. He didn't like when people got in his face, no matter who it was. But, he figured that he'd caused enough trouble, so he said nothing. Gabriella felt like she could breathe again as Johnny went back to his seat in the back.

"Now the rest of you," almost everybody in the room groaned. They had hoped his tirade was finished. "There are more people in this room than there's ever been, which is great. But the rules are still the same. You wanna be a Saint, you gotta be canonized. We are gonna make this real simple." "His eyes scanned the room. "Anybody who isn't really up for rollin' with us, get the fuck out. The rest of you, if you can't prove you were canonized or find at least three people in this room who can say you were and give me specifics, you are either getting jumped, or you're out. I ain't bullshittin'. Ya'll paperweights gettin' made today."

Needless to say, the crowd thinned out.

Those who were not really down for the Saints left before they faced the consequences of acting the part, while those who actually wanted to be legitimate were formally canonized. And those who couldn't prove prior involvement with the gang were canonized again, earning Gabriella's sympathy.

The hooting and hollering from the crowd was too much for her still pounding head, so she sought refuge outside, where she saw Johnny leaning against the church wall. He didn't look demoralized or defeated, he just looked annoyed.

"Hey, you okay?" Gabriella shoved her hands in her pockets and strolled over to him.

"I don't regret it, if that's what you really wanna know. I don't regret a damn thing," he said roughly, still looking at the street. "I'd kill every motherfucker on this block for you."

Gabriella groaned inwardly. Those words were sweet, in a sadistic sort of way, but that wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want Johnny to kill anyone for her. It's that thinking that started this whole issue in the first place!

"See? That's just it," Gabriella stood in front of him, demanding his attention. Demanding that he look at her. "I don't want you to kill for me."

Johnny stared at her blankly. She could feel him closing up and checking out of the current situation. Maybe he was downtrodden, in his own way. "Then, what do you want?"

Good fucking question.

Gabriella was sure that if she were wearing a wig, it would be blown backwards. The question stumped her, silenced her. Hell, it haunted her. It wasn't just a Johnny question or a Saints question. It was a life question. It was something that she didn't have an answer for, and she found that almost as disturbing as the knowing it was Johnny who asked it. It was deeper than he probably even knew.

There were so many things that she wanted, too many things. So, she opted for the one that would fit the situation.

"I want you to think."

Gabriella watched his eyes refocus, but for all the wrong reasons.

The guilt in his brown orbs was now replaced with mischief, lust and a speck of humor.

"I am," Johnny looked her up and down, drowning his words in more meaning than necessary. Gabriella felt that embarrassed, naked creeping up on her again, but for completely different reasons. This time, she felt naked in a physical sense.

The way he stared at her baggy clothes, his eyes pausing and scrutinizing certain areas, almost made her believe he possessed x-ray vision.

"Now is not the time," Gabriella snapped, annoyed that Johnny was refusing to grasp the situation at hand.

"When is it ever a good a good time, Gabriella." He said it as more of a statement than a question, feeling that he was so right that there was no answer she could give him that would say otherwise.

Gabriella pondered his words.

Up until this point, everything was a case of awful timing. From Dex joining the Saints to her getting kicked out of school, to Gabriella becoming a saint herself and getting badly injured in the process.

Not to mention meeting Johnny and the possibility that his girlfriend was the one who nearly killed her in the first place! Honestly, with how her luck was panning out, nothing would get done as long as she based her every move around whether or not the time was right.

He had another good point. Again.

Before she could come up with any bullshit rebuttal, she found herself against the stone wall, one hand placed at the small of her back and the other cradling her head protectively. She didn't fight the kiss that he blessed her with, so passionate, it was almost scorching her lips.

The sound of footsteps went unnoticed till Gabriella felt a presence and saw a silhouette in her peripheral vision.

Johnny broke the kiss and turned, staring Dex directly in the eye, knowing he had just fucked up. Apparently, Johnny had a knack for pissing people off. First Julius, now Dex. As Dex made quick, angry strides towards the pair, Johnny only uttered two words. Words that perfectly described how his day had been going and what was to come.

"Fuck me."

* * *

 **Alright, well here is the next chapter! I just want to thank EVERYONE for their feedback, their favorites and following my story. This is, by far, one of my favorite chapters that I've done for this story, so I hope you all enjoy it as well. Your reviews mean a lot to me, they let me know that I'm not just writing and no one cares lol. Well, thanks, and remember to leave a review! ^.^ bye bye!**


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